Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 12) — The government will set up command centers nationwide specifically to ensure stable medical oxygen supply during the pandemic, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said on Monday.
Lorenzana, who is also chairperson of the National Task Force Against COVID-19, bared the plan to put up a One Oxygen Command Center in all regions of the country during a televised meeting with President Rodrigo Duterte and other Cabinet officials.
He noted that such a facility has already been activated in the Zamboanga Peninsula region, which has seen a rise in COVID-19 infections.
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Lorenzana also said a “green lane” will be created in ports for faster transport of medical oxygen.
Meanwhile, the government will work to ensure uninterrupted power supply in manufacturing plants, he added.
According to the Department of Health, new COVID-19 cases in Metro Manila and nearby regions have been declining in recent days. However, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire urged the public not to let their guard down, as some areas are still seeing a rise in infections and hospitalization rates.
She noted cases remain high in the Cordillera Administrative Region, Ilocos Region, and Cagayan Valley, while a spike in figures has been observed in Zamboanga Peninsula, Bicol Region, and Mimaropa.
