DOH: Alert level system to refocus response, not relax restrictions
THE Department of Health yesterday clarified that the new alert level system being tested in Metro Manila is not meant to relax quarantine restrictions but to refocus the government’s coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) response.
Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire issued the explanation after World Health Organization country representative Rabindra Abeyasinghe advised against relaxing quarantine restrictions, considering the current number of vaccinated individuals in the country.
“I think maraming tao ang nagkakaroon ng maling pananaw dito sa ginagawa nating pilot implementation. So hindi po tayo nagluluwag, una po ‘yan. Kailangan pong maintindihan natin na nagre-strategize po tayo para mas may focus ang ating response,” she said.
Vergeire said the granular lockdowns will be implemented because the government is “focusing more” on the highly-burdened areas, adding that the new lockdown system will also focus on the framework of 3Cs or the restrictions on indoor activities (closed), crowding (crowded), and activities where the minimum health standards are not observed (close contact).
“Mas focused ang ating intervention for the objective na bumaba ang transmission ng kaso sa bawat lugar at mapaigting ng local government ang kanilang response para po patuloy mapababa ang kaso sa ating bansa,” she said.
Last Tuesday, Abeyasinghe acknowledged the “significant” vaccination coverage in the National Capital Region. However, he said it is not “adequate at this point to relax quarantine positions.”
He warned that a further increase in the current transmission levels could lead to an overwhelming of the health care systems.
Metro Manila was placed under alert level 4 during the first week of the pilot implementation of the alert level system for COVID-19.
