IATF proposes possible actions after April 30
The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases has presented to President Rodrigo Duterte a proposed framework that would help him in deciding what actions to take after the April 30 deadline for the enforcement of the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine to contain coronavirus disease.
This as Duterte meets again the IATF members on Thursday 6pm in Malacanang to further discuss the proposals.
Under the proposed framework, Roque said the inter-agency body has weighed the "trade off" between income and health.
In the recommendation of the IATF, it proposed a decision tool for modified ECQ.
The tool includes the establishment of minimum health standards for the people and employer, and health system capacity.
The IATF said this is "a must before going to the next stage."
The decision tool should also be based on geographic risk of outbreak, age and health risks, on essential sectors, and the use of public transport, Roque said.
He said in areas with low risk and moderate risk, it would be determined if it would be possible to restore public and private transportation and how many people could be allowed to take the modes of transportation to ensure social distancing.
It would also be determined if the health sector in a particular place could be ready to accommodate COVID-19 cases.
If the health sector of a place could not handle at least 70 percent of cases, the ECQ would not be lifted yet, he said.
But if the capability of the health sector is 30 to 70 percent, the ECQ could be modified or relaxed, he said.
Meanwhile, Senator Sonny Angara, a COVID-19 survivor, in a virtual media forum, said that if the government would lift or implement a modified ECQ, it should have made a decision two weeks before.
He said lifting the ECQ now would be "too late" since all sectors, particularly down to the barangay level, should have made proper preparations, such as how to really control the movement of the people.
He said the ECQ could be extended until middle of May or the government could relax "only a few things."
Earlier, Senator Christopher "Bong" Go, a close ally of the President, said Duterte would come up with his decision on the actions to be taken after April 30 today, Thursday. Celerina Monte/DMS
