Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 15) — The government’s strategy after the lifting of the enhanced community quarantine over Luzon is gradually taking shape, the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases said on Wednesday.
“Slowly we are coming up with a game plan on what will happen after April 30,” said Karlo Nograles, who communicates the plans made by the country’s policy-making body on COVID-19 response to the public through televised briefings.
The spokesperson said the government is considering many options, including imposing modified lockdowns and reopening some establishments, but he said there is no definite decision yet on the post-April 30 scenario.
The official reiterated the only certain thing right now is that people in Luzon will face a “new normal” two weeks from now, including mandatory social distancing rules, the wearing of face masks, and the practice of proper hygiene.
“We are considering ano ‘yung mga pwede nang ibalik, pero di siya pwedeng tulad ng dati,” Nograles said.
[Translation: We are considering what we could allow again, but we cannot go back to normal.]
Luzon has been under quarantine for almost a month now.
The lockdown shuttered businesses, except those offering essential goods and services. It also emptied streets by prohibiting mass gatherings and ordering most, except for those rendering vital services, to stay at home. It was the most extreme measure yet to slow the spread of COVID-19.
Nograles said the goal of the quarantine is to keep hospitals from getting overwhelmed since there is no vaccine yet for the viral disease.
“Bukas na ating mga COVID-19 quarantine and isolation facilities,” he added.
[Translation: Our quarantine and isolation facilities are now open.]
“Ang target po natin (Our target) is we test more, we isolate them more, we treat them more and we have more recoveries,” Nograles added.
He said as of April 11, there are 2,705 quarantine facilities with a total of 166,435 beds “have been built” across the country. They are serving 1,644 confirmed, probable and suspect COVID-19 cases.
The Department of Health previously referred to probable and suspect cases as ‘persons under investigation.’
