Covid care kits to be given to infected people in home quarantine
People with Covid can quarantine at home once SA’s borders reopen on Tuesday – here’s how it will work, and the medical supply kit patients will get.
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South Australians who test positive for Covid and are able to quarantine at home will be supplied with care kits so health authorities can monitor their symptoms remotely.
SA Health will provide patients with a blood-pressure machine, glucometer, oximeter and temperature probe, on a needs-basis.
Those unable to access the HealthCheck SA app will also be provided with a tablet so their results can be logged.
SA Health has announced the protocol for people quarantining at home, saying those who test positive for Covid once borders open on Tuesday will almost immediately receive a phone call from health staff, advising them of what to do next.
For 85 per cent of Covid-positive people, this will involve quarantining at home for 14 days from when they receive their positive test. For others, it will involve being sent to a medi-hotel or hospital.
When home quarantine is required, anyone else who lives in the house with the positive case should also immediately quarantine at the property until advised otherwise.
The initial phone call from health staff will determine where the positive case has been and who their close contacts may be before referring them to the SA Health Covid Response Team, which will manage their symptoms.
The team will likely dispatch an oximeter and temperature probe to Covid-positive people so their symptoms can be monitored.
Some people may also be sent a blood-pressure machine, glucometer and tablet.
SA Health said there is 20,000 kits for Adelaide and another 1500 for country areas.
Deputy chief public health officer Dr Emily Kirkpatrick said SA Health staff would stay in regular contact with those in home quarantine and people worried about their symptoms could call a hotline.
“Every day you will receive a call in your home, checking on your wellbeing, checking on your symptoms, but most importantly making sure that you’re doing OK,” she said.
“(They’ll check) what supports that you may need such as assistance with food, assistance with managing workplace … we can help liaise with those people so you can get the care you need in your home.”
Premier Steven Marshall said the extra supports for people home quarantining were “another enabled for us to safely open up our borders, and in doing so reunite South Australians with family, friends and colleagues”.
Seaton father-of-two Angelo Katsilis said the ability to home quarantine, if required,
“It will definitely better than quarantining in a hotel with two active young boys,” he said.
“(We’ll have the) creature comforts of home, the kids can run around in the backyard and play with their toys.”
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