ICYMI: The Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) on Sunday said home quarantine is no longer a viable option for COVID-19 patients with mild symptoms as the virus could be transmitted much faster this way.
“Malaking chances na magkahawaan doon sa kanyang pamilya o kung saan siya nakatira. So we’re now shifting na kung mahawa, kahit na asymptomatic, mas bibigyan natin ng priority ’yung mag facility quarantine,” Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said.
But how do they ensure full compliance to this new order to lessen transmissions?
Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) secretary and IATF vice-chair Eduardo Año says the police will go house-to-house to check if anybody at home is asymptomatic and then have them transferred to a monitoring facility.
This is especially for those who don’t have the necessary isolation facilities at home such as a separate room and own bath, and those with family member/s or house member/s considered vulnerable to the disease.
In an online press briefing today, Año said, “Ang gagawin natin, sa tulong ng ating LGUs at Philippine National Police ay iba-bahay-bahay po natin ’yan at dadalhin natin ang ating mga positive sa ating COVID-19 facilities.”
Año also urged the public to report COVID-19 patients who are “hiding” at home in their neighborhoods as mandated by Republic Act 11332 or the Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases and Health Events of Public Health Concern Act.
And to those who are worried about being transferred to these monitoring facilities with other COVID-19 patients, Año reminded them “May Wi-Fi po yan baka hindi na po umuwi ’yan.”
According to the data by the Department of Health as of July 10, some government isolation facilities can still accommodate more patients. These include Local Isolation and General Treatment Areas for COVID-19 cases (LIGTAS COVID-19 centers) in various locations, which still has over 50,000 free beds.
[READ: PICC, World Trade Center to be converted into COVID-19 quarantine facilities]
Other government-managed mega facilities such as the Philippine International Convention Center, World Trade Center, Rizal Memorial Coliseum, Ninoy Aquino Stadium and the Philippine Arena, meanwhile, still have almost 2,000 beds available.
Header photo courtesy of Bacoor PNP Facebook group
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