IATF approves tightening of minimum health protocols

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH)’s recommendation to “strengthen the enforcement and implementation” of minimum public health standards has been approved by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) in a bid to arrest the surge in COVID-19 cases in the country.

As the country recorded a total of 4,578 new COVID-19 cases yesterday, presidential spokesman Harry Roque Jr. announced the IATF’s order for businesses to mitigate risks of infection in work places and for local authorities to intensify contact tracing and monitoring down to the barangay level.

Although President Duterte has recognized the need to re-open the economy, he also wants to balance the safety and health of all Filipinos a year since the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 pandemic, Roque said.

However, there was no indication that the current quarantine classifications – particularly the general community quarantine (GCQ) status in Metro Manila – would change.

Instead, Roque said Metro Manila mayors have initiated efforts to minimize, if not stop, the further spread of the virus by imposing uniform curfew hours from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. for two weeks beginning March 15.

The Palace official maintained that the Philippines has managed the crisis well. “As I have said repeatedly, that we have managed the crisis very well. We have limited the total number of cases to the point we had 30 in terms of total cases, in terms of active cases,” he said.

“The most important of course is we have limited the deaths to 2.09 (percent) of all those who are getting sick,” Roque said.

“Nevertheless, we’re seeing a rise in cases perhaps because people have grown weary of the minimum health standards and due to the entry of new variants. This is being experienced not just here in the Philippines but almost the rest of the world,” he said in Filipino.

Stricter regulations

Roque cited IATF Resolution No. 102, which outlines stricter regulations by ensuring that the wearing of face masks and face shields are done properly; increasing the frequency of hand-washing for at least 20 seconds each time; ensuring the observance of social distancing and proper ventilation and reducing time of interaction, if any.

The task force also pushed for the reinforcement of correct information being disseminated on COVID-19.

It also mandated that even suspect cases must be subjected to contact tracing and that StaySafe.ph be the main application used for the purpose down to the level of local government units (LGUs).

Morever, suspected cases must be subjected to reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test and then isolated within 24 hours of detection.

A day after admitting that the government’s contact-tracing efforts are week, Roque said the IATF directed LGUs to ensure the strict implementation of COVID- 19 Coordinated Operations to Defeat Epidemic (CODE), through the strengthened mobilization of Barangay Health Emergency Response Teams.

The IATF reiterated the need to begin contact tracing even among suspect cases.

It said all close contacts traced must undergo 24-hour quarantine and that 100 percent of those exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms should be isolated in a facility within 24 hours.

It also pushed for the monitoring of work places and other closed settings as to their case data and compliance with minimum public health standards and protocols.

On the level of establishments, the IATF underscored the need to implement risk mitigation strategies on engineering controls, ventilation and contact tracing as well the measurement of compliance and establishing baselines.

The IATF insisted on the proper handover to the LGUs of returning overseas Filipinos (ROFs) and other incoming international travelers to ensure compliance with and completion of quarantine or isolation.

It also approved the recommendation of the IATF Technical Working Group to allow Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority to resume receiving all types of vessels for “hot/warm” layup purposes as an adjunct to its functions as a crew-change hub following the approved health and safety protocols.

Senate sounds alarm

Senators said containing the surge in COVID-19 cases requires more than a combination of curfews and deploying more cops and warned against going “back to square one” as the country nears the first anniversary of the lockdown.

Sen. Joel Villanueva said authorities, particularly policemen and barangay watchmen manning checkpoints, must make it easy for workers to get through as they are already facing numerous difficulties trying to make a living amid the pandemic.

He said the hospital capacity for COVID-19 cases must be increased while the epidemiological surveillance must be sustained and made consistent.

“It’s so disappointing to note, this surge, that it’s been a year and we could hardly see an opportunity to SPLIT with COVID or ensure supply, personnel, list (of information) and trust,” Villanueva told reporters via video conference.

“We’re not moving forward. We are back to square one. Now we have a spike, they blame mobility but there’s no scientific proof,” he said.

Sen. Francis Pangilinan said authorities must focus on important measures to contain the virus. “We’ve seen the effects that the spread of the virus cannot be contained with arrests, or even the detention of quarantine violators if there is no mass testing, contact tracing and isolation.”

“We need experts in public health, not experts in warfare. We need the caring hands of doctors, nurses, contact tracers and vaccinators, not the iron fist of armed men,” he said.

But while Sen. Panfilo Lacson agreed with the need to intensify contact tracing efforts, he backed the curfew and deployment of police officers to tighten up on the unnecessary movement of people as well as stricter implementation of the health protocols.

“The recent move to impose curfew at least in Metro Manila is a good move. And the government should really use its police power because we’re still under a state of public health emergency under Presidential Proclamation 922,” Lacson told CNN Philippines.

He also emphasized the need for the national vaccination program to succeed in attaining herd immunity. “We really need to procure and vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. is scrambling to really work on the supply. We can only hope there will be no gaps in the deliveries so it (vaccination) will be sustained,” he said.

Lacson reiterated that there is a problem with Malacañang rating its response to the pandemic as “excellent” as it means it no longer sees any more room for improvement. – Paolo Romero