Friday, February 05, 2021

Is SHN and isolation really necessary and useful?

 I read a report that a 35-year-old visitor was tested positive for Covid-19, two weeks after completing her stay-home notice (SHN).

My concern is on the cost of the Stay Home Notice to the traveler. The restriction meant that the traveler is not allowed to engage in any activity for 14 days. What is the purpose when it does not help to prevent the spread of the virus?

It is even more costly to require a traveler has to stay in isolation in a hotel for 14 days. 

Rather than keep the traveller under SHN or isolation, I refer that they be tested for covid on entry and if found negative, they do not need to be kept under SHN or isolation. Instead, they can be asked to monitor their temperature every day for 14 or 21 days. If they have a temperature, they should go for another covid test.

We should not impose a high cost for the SHN or isolation, when the actual benefit is questionable.

There should be a balance between the actual risk and the cost of the SHN and isolation measures.

If we find, from actual experience, that incoming visitors without symptoms are spreading the virus seriously, we can return to the SHN/ isolation measures. In the meantime, there is no need to incur such a heavy cost when the actual benefit is questionable.

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