NEW DELHI: Weeks after asking health workers to work for two weeks and then take a two-week break, the Delhi Health Department on Monday said that regular quarantine of health care workers after performing duty in COVID-19 areas is not “warranted”.
In an order, the Delhi Health Department said the doctors, nurses and other staff members at the dedicated COVID hospitals will only be quarantined if they have “high-risk exposure”.
Under the “high-risk exposure” category are those treating COVID-19 patients or handling their samples without proper personal protective equipment (PPE) or probable breach of PPE protocol.
The quarantine will also be required if a staff comes in contact with a positive person within a distance of one metre for more than 15 minutes without a mask, face shield or goggles.
“Regular quarantine of health care workers after performing duty in COVID-19 areas is not warranted except as elaborated under the protocol of high risk and low-risk contact,” the order reads.
On March 30, the Delhi government directed the hospitals to allow doctors, nurses and paramedical staff to work for 14 days continuously, followed by a two-week break.
The May 18 order has also directed the non-COVID hospitals to run flu clinics and to have a separate space for suspected COVID patients at their facility.
(With agency inputs)