As more cases of coronavirus disease are being confirmed across India, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) has issued a set of guidelines to be followed by those requiring home quarantine.

“Home quarantine is applicable to all such contacts of a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19,” reads the statement issued by the Ministry. It further goes on to define who are contacts and outlines a set of instructions to follow during the home quarantine period.

Individuals under home quarantine should stay in a separate room, ideally one which has its own bathroom facilities. If another person has to share the room, there must be a distance of at least 1 metre between the two individuals. Those under home quarantine should avoid contact with elderly individuals, young children, and anyone with underlying health issues. They should restrict their movement around the house and completely avoid social gatherings.

The guidelines also include a set of measures to take to prevent contracting a possible infection. This includes washing hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based sanitiser. Sharing of household items between members of the house should be reduced, avoided if possible. Everyone should wear a surgical mask and change the masks every 6 to 8 hours.

There are also instructions pertaining to cleaning the household and surrounding environment. Tasks should be divided between family members and each person should strictly adhere to the duties assigned to them. This will aid in decreasing the chances of any accidental transmission of the virus. Visitors are not allowed to come home during the quarantine period. The household must be cleaned thoroughly and disinfected routinely.