Bogotá DC, August 12, 2020. In order to slow down the covid-19 contagion and interrupt the transmission chains, the National Government, through Decree 1109, 2020, regulated the Sustainable Selective Testing, Tracking and Isolation Program (PRASS), which is led by the Ministry of Health and Social Protection and is included in the General System of Health Care Social Security (SGSSS).
Therefore, as had already been announced, it will be possible to follow up on covid-19 cases and contacts, regulating the economic recognition of those who must be in isolation for this disease and establishing the responsibilities that the different actors of the system must comply with for the implementation of the PRASS.
Follow-up of cases and contacts
Therefore, with regard to the component of follow-up of cases and contacts of covid-19, three actions are included, as defined in i) taking samples and running diagnostic laboratory tests, ii) tracking the contacts of the confirmed cases, and iii) fulfilling isolation of confirmed cases and their contacts. These measures in public health are also supplemented with health risk management.
In the case of taking samples and conducting diagnostic laboratory tests, these will continue to be done within the guidelines established by the Ministry; and those responsible for taking samples will be province or district territorial entities, EPSs and ARLs.
In the same sense, responsibilities are established for these actors together with the municipal health offices for the tracking of contacts of confirmed, suspected and probable cases of covid-19 contagion, and their evaluation, orientation and follow-up.
"The active search will be supplemented with other tools such as: personalized tracking undertaken by epidemiological surveillance teams, telephone calls and use of the Coronapp pro. The responsibility of the supply and registration of the information that is reported in the corresponding forms or platforms falls on the health authorities, EPSs and the community in general," reads the administrative act.
With regard to selective isolation, municipal and district health offices are empowered to carry out epidemiological barriers when clusters with a high number of cases occur in a geographic area.
Isolation sustainability
The second component of the PRASS is also regulated by the current decree, establishing that people in the Contributory System, who are diagnosed with covid-19, will have the financial resources derived from general illness or occupational illness leave, as appropriate. In charge of this recognition will be the EPSs or the ARLs, in order to guarantee the isolation of the workers affected by the virus and their family nucleus.
In the case of asymptomatic patients enrolled with the Contributory System and to whom the doctor considers unnecessary to assign disability, they will be prioritized to carry out telework or work at home, during the term of mandatory isolation.
Enrollees with the Subsidized System who are diagnosed with covid-19 will receive the Temporary Economic Compensation, which corresponds to seven (7) days of the Current Minimum Legal Daily Salary, that is, a once-only payment of about $204,000 pesos per family nucleus, as long as the isolation measure has been complied with.
For the recognition of the Temporary Economic Compensation, the decree establishes payment conditions, such as that the EPSs verify i) that the beneficiary and the family group commit to complying with the isolation; ii) that the provider delivers the required information to the Adres; and iii) authorization of the direct transfer to the beneficiary. In the event that the member diagnosed with covid-19 dies, the family nucleus will receive the recognition.
