MOH to pilot home isolation care model for fully vaccinated COVID-19 patients

With Singapore easing restrictions and life seemingly slowly returning to some normalcy, the Ministry of Health (MOH) has announced a home isolation care model pilot for fully vaccinated COVID-19 patients, amongst other updates as of Aug 19. 

The home-centred care model will allow COVID-19 patients with mild to no symptoms to isolate at home rather than serving the entire 14 days at a medical facility. The pilot was given the green light following encouraging local and global data showing that fully vaccinated COVID-19 patients have a lower risk of developing a severe reaction to COVID-19.

The pilot will begin for medically stable COVID-19 patients from Aug 30 if their household members are fully vaccinated and not belonging to any vulnerable groups, such as the elderly or the immunocompromised. 

This is in line with the directive of the World Health Organization (WHO) recommending patients be moved to home isolation after spending the first few days in a medical facility. 

Singapore will also be starting a vaccinated travel lane (VTL) with Brunei and Germany starting on Sep 8. Vaccinated travellers from both countries will be allowed to enter Singapore without having to serve a stay-home notice. 

In exchange for not serving a stay-home notice, vaccinated travellers will undergo multiple COVID-19 Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests, including a pre-departure PCR test within 48 hours of their scheduled departure for Singapore, an on-arrival PCR test in Singapore, and two additional PCR tests on days three and seven of their stay in Singapore. 

As of Aug 17, 77 per cent of the population has completed the full regimen of two COVID-19 vaccine doses. For those who remain unvaccinated, walk-ins are now accepted at vaccination centres under the national vaccination programme.