IATF releases full list of essential personnel during ECQ

MANILA – The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) has updated the list of persons allowed to travel in areas under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) from Aug. 6 to 20.

Under IATF-EID omnibus guidelines with amendments as of Aug. 5, the movement of all persons shall be limited to essential transactions such as buying food, traveling for medical or humanitarian reasons, and those going to vaccinations sites with proof of schedule.

Hospital workers, medical professionals, and drug manufacturer industry and essential good services workers are allowed to go out.

Those below 18 years old and who are above 65 years old including those with immunodeficiency, comorbidity, or other health risks, and pregnant women are advised to stay at home, except for obtaining essential services and heading to their workplaces.

Public or private priority construction projects including contractors, subcontractors, and consultants of the Department of Transportation for the construction of “Build, Build, Build” flagship infrastructure projects are allowed to operate in accordance with the guidelines issued by the Department of Public Works and Highways.

Dine-in services are prohibited in food preparation establishments such as kiosks, commissaries, restaurants, and eateries, but food deliveries are permitted.

The IATF allows the operations of public and private financial service providers involved in the distribution of government grants and amelioration subsidies, business process outsourcing establishments, and export-oriented businesses, including mining and quarrying activities.

The current public transport supply and capacity will be retained.

Media establishments shall operate at 50 percent onsite capacity of their total permanent staff complement, inclusive of reporters and other field employees.

Dental, rehabilitation, optometry, and other medical clinics for the treatment of illness or injuries may operate with onsite skeletal workforces and must be strictly observant of infection prevention and control protocols.

Dentists and attendants are required to wear full personal protective equipment while home service therapy for persons with disabilities will be allowed.

Likewise allowed are onsite skeletal operations for capital markets, banks, money transfer services, pawnshops, microfinance institutions, and credit cooperatives as well as utility and sanitation services, energy sector, telecommunication companies, Internet service providers, cable television providers, airlines and aircraft maintenance, aviation schools for purposes of the pilot’s recurrent training for flight proficiency and type rating using simulator facilities.

The IATF also allows a skeleton workforce for funeral and embalming services, printing services authorized by the Bureau of Internal Revenue and those contracted by other government agencies, repair, and maintenance of machinery and equipment, leasing of real and personal properties, recruitment, and placement services for employment.

A minimum number of teachers, professors, and other education support personnel, working for purpose of online/offline and flexible classes, and will render services for completion of grades, and processing of student credentials, requirements, and documents are also allowed to travel.

Lawyers may provide onsite legal representation necessary to protect the rights of persons, whether natural or juridical.

All other establishments, to the extent necessary for the buying and selling of consumer goods or services via the Internet, may operate in a limited capacity.

The IATF-EID authorized the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to issue a list of industries that shall remain prohibited in areas under ECQ.

The resolution also stated that government agencies and other instrumentalities shall be fully operational with a skeleton workforce onsite, while the rest should render services under alternative work arrangements as approved by the head of agency unless a greater onsite capacity is required in agencies providing health and emergency frontline services, laboratory and testing services, border control, or other critical services, in accordance with the relevant rules and regulations issued by the Civil Service Commission.

The independent authority of the legislature, the judiciary, Office of the Ombudsman, and the Constitutional Commissions may implement any alternative work arrangements, according to the resolution.