Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 7) – The Inter-Agency Task Force has approved shortened quarantine days for fully vaccinated healthcare workers amid the need to ensure manpower as COVID-19 cases spike.
Acting presidential spokesperson Karlo Nograles made the announcement during President Rodrigo Duterte’s second COVID-19 pandemic briefing this week. He said isolation period may also be reduced if the need arises.
The Department of Health (DOH) also issued a separate advisory, amending protocols for the quarantine and isolation period for medical workers to sustain healthcare capacity.
“Hospital infection prevention and control committees are authorized to implement shortened quarantine protocols for their fully vaccinated healthcare workers who are close contacts consistent with health care capacity need and individualized risk assessment,” read Department Circular No No. 2022-0002.
Hospital authorities may also cut off isolation period of their fully vaccinated medical workers “with confirmed COVID-19 up to five days from date of test or symptom onset.”
Provincial health officers, in coordination with their provincial hospital infection prevention and control committees, were also authorized to reduce quarantine and isolation periods for health workers greatly needed for pandemic response like swabbers and vaccinators.
Nograles also announced the task force has approved home isolation for asymptomatic, mild, and moderate COVID-19 cases. Home quarantine for close contacts of suspect, probable, and confirmed cases was also approved.
In both cases, a conducive space for quarantine is needed, he said.
The DOH will issue guidelines on the implementation of these policies, Nograles added.
COVID-19 cases in the country have been steadily increasing, with more than 17,000 tallied on Thursday.
Several hospitals, especially in Metro Manila, are reporting almost full capacity. Health Sec. Francisco Duque said if these facilities will be overwhelmed, health workers from the Visayas and Mindanao – especially those from areas with low number of COVID cases – will again be deployed for augmentation.
