‘Enhanced’ Covid measures in Region 3, CAR, Quezon, Batangas

MANILA – Central Luzon, the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), and provinces of Batangas and Quezon have been directed to immediately implement “enhanced” prevent-detect-isolate-treat-reintegrate (PDITR) measures against the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).

The latest order was contained in the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases’ (IATF-EID) Resolution 106 issued on Saturday.

This followed after President Rodrigo Duterte approved the IATF-EID’s recommendation to impose the most restrictive enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal from March 29 to April 4.

Under the resolution, several measures will be implemented in Central Luzon, CAR, Batangas and Quezon after local governments’ assessment with regional IATF’s concurrence.

The measures include possible extension of scope of lockdown to whole municipality and city; limitation of interzonal mobility, especially into and out of high-transmission areas; and limitation of non-essential travels within the lockdowns.

Regional IATFs are also directed to monitor, identify, and address gaps in the implementation of enhanced measures against Covid-19, while regional offices of Labor and Trade departments are ordered to inspect workplaces and establishments.

Vaccination of priority groups should also be fast-tracked in Central Luzon, CAR, Batangas, and Quezon, according to IATF-EID Resolution 106.

Scaled-up Covid-19 vax efforts in ‘high-burden’ areas

The government also intends to ramp up its vaccination efforts in “high burden” areas, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a virtual presser on Saturday.

Roque said the implementation of the government’s mass immunization drive against coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) will be intensified in Metro Manila, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal, Bulacan, Cebu City, and Davao City.

“Kasama rin po sa mga hakbang na gagawin natin ang parallel implementation at pagpapaigting ng vaccination efforts sa high burden areas, kasama na po diyan ang Metro Manila, Laguna, Cavite, Rizal, at Bulacan, at kasama na rin po diyan ang Cebu City at ang Davao City (One of the measures that we will undertake is the parallel implementation and scale up of vaccination efforts in high burden areas, including Metro Manila, Laguna, Cavite, Rizal, Bulacan, Cebu City, and Davao City),” Roque said.

The IATF-EID’s Resolution 106 adopts a policy that will maximize the master listing and vaccination of front-line workers under “A1” priority group.

This includes those who are not based in health facilities but “provide Covid-19 case management from womb to tomb, screening at borders and points of entry, or management of Covid-19 specimens.”

The resolution also adopts the policy that will implement the simultaneous vaccination of health care workers from “A1” priority group, senior citizens from “A2” priority group,” and individuals with comorbidities from “A3” priority group as quick substitution list.

According to the resolution, the simultaneous vaccination of succeeding priority groups will be conducted, once supplies from multipartite agreements “come in” and are “adopted in principle.”

ECQ will be imposed in Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal beginning Monday following the spike in Covid-19 cases in the country.

Duterte, who is in his hometown, Davao City, to celebrate his 76th birthday on Sunday (March 28), is expected to return to Manila on Monday to witness the arrival of 1 million procured CoronaVac vaccines manufactured by China’s Sinovac Biotech.

Roque said there has already been a request for an exemption from the National Task Force Against Covid-19 to allow Duterte to hold a ceremony for Sinovac vaccines’ arrival.