Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 5) — The chief implementer of the country’s coronavirus response said Thursday it is unlikely and difficult to reach the goals of the Department of Health even after reimposing a two-week modified enhanced community quarantine in Metro Manila and nearby provinces.
DOH spokesperson Maria Rosario Vergeire announced on Thursday the objectives of the updated COVID-19 response plan implemented during the movement restrictions which is until August 18.
These are to:
-Stop the use of rapid antibody test kits to confirm or rule a coronavirus infection
-Identify and crush clusters of infection
-End stigmatization of COVID-19 patients
-Trace at least 37 close contacts of each confirmed case
-Find all active cases by going house to house in high-risk communities
-Refer all suspected and confirmed cases to quarantine and isolation facilities if they cannot comply with home quarantine protocols
-Achieve high compliance rate to minimum health standards such as wearing of face masks and practicing physical distancing
-Accomplish zero out-of-pocket expenses for COVID-19 patients
-Test all individuals who manifest COVID-19-like symptoms using the RT-PCR or real-time polymerase chain reaction test
An RT-PCR test is considered as “the gold standard” for Coronavirus testing because it can detect the actual presence of the virus, even when the patient is not showing any symptoms.
Vergeire said the DOH’s updated strategy aims to bring back a “health focused, driven approach in responding to COVID-19” by providing stronger support to local governments which need it the most.
She added that they will deploy teams to assess high-risk communities for compliance to protocols aimed at containing the spread of COVID-19.
She also said they will monitor the results of their response to know if these are “sufficient, appropriate and effective.”
“The different goals mentioned are tough…honestly, 15 days are not enough for that,” Secretary Carlito Galvez, Jr. said in a press conference.
“But we will continue to pursue those objectives,” Galvez added.
In the same briefing, Health Undersecretary Leopoldo Vega said they “will deliver what has been promised.”
Vega added that they will try their best to make sure that once the economy reopens, they will respond better.
On August 1, the medical community asked President Rodrigo Duterte to place Mega Manila under ECQ for two weeks, noting the need to “recalibrate strategies” since the current response was not able to bring COVID-19 under control.
Duterte made a compromise reimposing modified ECQ in Metro Manila, Laguna, Cavite, Rizal, and Bulacan from August 4 to 18.
