How long do you have to self isolate

How to self-isolate

Do

• stay at home, in a room with a window you can open
• keep away from other people – especially older people or anyone with a long-term medical condition
• use a different bathroom to others in your household, if possible
• cover your coughs and sneezes using a tissue – clean your hands properly after
• ask friends, family or delivery drivers to drop off food or supplies – if they stand back from the door, you can speak with them
• wash your hands properly and often
• use your own towel – do not share a towel with others
• clean your room every day with a household cleaner or disinfectant
• wear a medical or respirator face mask if you have to be in the same room as someone else during self-isolation and for 3 days after you leave self-isolation

Don't

• do not go outside unless you have your own outdoor space away from other people
• do not go to work, school, religious services or public areas
• do not go to the shops or pharmacy for any reason – ask them to deliver or ask someone to go for you
• do not share things like food, dishes or other household items
• do not use public transport or taxis
• do not have any visitors to your home

Read about what to do if you live with other people and are self-isolating

If you start to feel unwell

If you start to feel very unwell, phone your GP. Particularly if your breathing changes or becomes difficult, or your cough gets worse. Do not go to your GP or to a pharmacy in person.

If you are not eligible for HRP, you will receive a call from MOH to schedule your transfer to an appropriate care facility. Click here for more details.

• You should immediately self-isolate from other household members in a separate room for 72 hours, preferably with an attached bathroom. Do not interact with anyone.
• Do not leave your house. There is no need to go to the hospital or call 995.
• Stay calm and monitor your health.

What to expect

1. You will receive an SMS within 24 hours upon notification of your positive result containing a link to fill in a form.

2. You will receive an advisory SMS within 48 hours of your positive result on HealthHub.

What to do in the coming days

• During your Home Recovery period, you will have 2 resources available to you:
  • For medical assistance, contact the GP who conducted your test if the clinic is participating in HRP. Otherwise, you can request for a telemedicine provider at go.gov.sg/telemedicineproviders.
    • For more information on telemedicine and when to use it, click here.
  • For non-medical assistance, speak to a Home Recovery Buddy (HRB) at 6874 4939.
• Practise good personal hygiene by washing hands regularly with soap and water.
• Monitor your temperature, pulse rate and oxygen saturation daily. No reporting of your readings is required.

When can I be discharged?

1. At the end of 72 hours, you should do a self-administered ART.
2. If you test negative, you can exit self-isolation and resume normal activities.
3. If you continue to test positive, continue to self-isolate and self-test until you obtain a negative result OR until 12pm on Day 7 (for vaccinated individuals and children below 12 years old) or Day 14 (for unvaccinated / partially vaccinated individuals aged 12 years old and above), without a need to test, whichever comes earlier. The day you first tested positive is Day 1.
   • For residents: If you do not have any ART kits, you can collect from a nearby vending machine but must return home immediately. For locations of these vending machines and collection details, click here.
   • For non-residents: You may purchase ART kits from local retail pharmacies. If you are staying in a hotel, you may wish to approach the hotel conceirge for assistance.

*If your symptoms worsen (e.g. prolonged fever, worsening cough, breathing difficulties etc.) or do not improve, please return to your doctor or call 995 in emergency situations.

What to do after getting discharged

• After discharge, you should minimise social activities for 7 days. Do continue to observe safe management measures.

• If you feel unwell after discharge, you may visit any GP clinic of your choice.

• Please disinfect your room after you’re discharged. Here are useful links to guide you through the cleaning procedure:

  How long are you infectious with COVID

  Those with severe COVID-19 may remain infectious beyond 10 days and may need to extend isolation for up to 20 days. People who are moderately or severely immunocompromised should isolate through at least day 20.

  Is Covid not contagious after 7 days?

  A few special considerations for isolation If you become severely sick with COVID-19, you may be contagious for longer than those who are mildly ill. If you were very sick from COVID, isolate for at least 10 full days after your symptoms start.

  Do I self isolate for 10 or 11 days?

  If you had no symptoms, stay in isolation for 10 days starting from the date you took your positive test. Scenario 1: You developed symptoms of COVID-19 and then got a positive test result. Your last day of isolation is 10 days from when your symptoms began and you meet all three criteria listed above.