Localized lockdown to happen only if Code Red alert sublevel 2 is raised
(Eagle News) — The Department of Health (DOH) is now studying the possibility of declaring a localized lockdown in certain areas in the country as it determines if there are clustering of cases.
The department is also closely studying the new cases, especially those with no history of travel abroad, to determine if there is already a “community transmission” in certain parts of the country. This is when the source of the infection could no longer be identified.
In this case, DOH will already raise the current Code Red alert sublevel 1 to sublevel 2. In such a case, the local governments concerned can already decide to impose a community lockdown after coordinating with the DOH or the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases.
“Kung meron na po tayong ebidensya na kumalat, hindi mo na ma-link, hindi mo na ma-identify yung source of infection. That particular community may impose a lockdown,” Health Secretary Francisco Duque said in a hearing at the House of Representatives on Wednesday, March 11.
The DOH said that all the information should be complete and that there should be a thorough study and periodic assessment of the cases, particularly in the community where there are localized cases.
Duque said that if ever this happens not the whole of Metro Manila would be locked down, but only in the particular communities where the localized cases are located.
“Para hindi buong NCR. We have to re-assess. We do the periodic assessment, IATF will decide,” he said.
“Ito yung kung saan yung community kung saan natuklasan yung localized transmission or localized cases, puedeng doon muna mag-lockdown lamang,” he explained.
There will be a targeted lockdown and quarantine of the community if the sustained community or human-to-human transmission is confirmed, he said.
So far, the DOH said that 10 of the 33 coronavirus cases in the country have no known history of travel abroad.
DOH Assistant Secretary Dra. Maria Rosario Vergeire said that they are trying to get all the information on the local patients with COVID-19 who have no history of travel abroad.
“We need to get all the information by tonight so that makakapagsabi tayo, that we can readily say that there is sustained community transmission,” she said in a press briefing on Tuesday, March 10.
“Dumadating lang po tayo sa punto ng lockdown if you are already in Code Red Alert Sublevel 2. Kapag meron na po tayong sustained community transmission, diyan na po papasok ang istratehiyang ito na puede nating i-employ,” Vergeire said.
-DOH awaiting results of gene sequencing on positive COVID-19 patients-
The DOH is also awaiting the results of the so-called “gene sequencing” which they are doing on the samples of the COVID-19 positive patients.
“Para malaman natin talaga based on science, based on evidence kung talagang may epidemiologic link. May relasyon ang bawat isa doon lang natin malalaman kung meron tayong community transmission or wala,” Vergeire said.
The gene sequencing will only be done on the confirmed cases, even the earlier confirmed cases.
“That’s why we’re doing gene sequencing because with this, we’re now using science para malaman natin kung talagang may mga relasyon, and we have evidence to back us up if ever we will declare sustained community transmission,” Vergeire explained.
She said that the DOH has already expanded their investigating teams to check on the confirmed cases.
