Says country cannot afford a long ECQ
(Eagle News) – The Philippine government is implementing “gradual” easing of restrictions in a “phased manner” which takes in consideration the precautionary measures given by the World Health Organization.
This was according to Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., chief implementer of the country’s national action plan against COVID-19.
He said that the WHO recommendations on easing of quarantine restrictions have been incorporated in the Philippine government’s plan on the transition from enhanced community quarantine to general community quarantine, and finally to lifting of quarantine protocols.
In his presentation to President Rodrigo Duterte, Galvez said that the “gradual” easing of restrictions is needed “to prevent resurgence” of COVID-19 infections.
“According to WHO, any plans to ease quarantine restriction should be carried out gradually and in a phased manner — parang ‘yung, Mr. President, na hinay-hinay lang po — to prevent resurgence of infection and that a strong and resilient health system should be in place like testing and tracing. Otherwise, this will likely prelude to resurgence of the disease,” he explained Monday night, May 11.
“In the absence of a vaccine, all what we can do is prevent and contain it and mitigate its impact,” he said in the meeting which was aired Tuesday, May 12.
Galvez stressed that the government “cannot endure the ECQ for extended period of time as its resources are very limited.”
“Hence, it has to balance between health and economy,” he said.
-COVID-carrier centric-
Galvez said that they also considered the WHO Interim Protocol on Rapid Operations to contain the initial emergence of pandemic influenza specifically the zoning concept that can be effectively applied at the local government unit’s barangay level.
He said that the country’s National Action Plan is “COVID carrier-centric”
”We have to focus our intervention on the carriers” he stressed.
But he said they also updated the National Action Plan with a revised operational framework that added the prevention prior to the detection phase.
The plan also adopted the “end-to-end T3 management system for COVID-19 carriers, which mean test, trace and treat,” he said.
(Eagle News Service)
