Tighter safety protocols for ports now in effect

MANILA – The country is implementing strict health and safety protocols for all returning overseas Filipinos (ROFs) to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) and its variants in the country.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, who is National Task Force against Covid-19 chair, said this is now being done by the border sub-clusters.

“Tiniyak naman ng ating borders sub-cluster na ang ating mga daungan ay mahigpit na nagpapatupad ng mga health and safety protocols sa mga dumarating na overseas Filipinos lalo na ‘yung mga nagmula sa mga bansang matataas ang bilang ng Covid cases. (Our border sub-cluster assured that all our ports are strictly implementing health and safety protocols for all returning overseas Filipinos especially those coming from countries with high Covid cases),” he said during the Talk to the People of President Rodrigo R. Duterte Monday night.

Lorenzana said the Department of Transportation also records ROFs who have been vaccinated aside from monitoring those coming from the country’s southern borders.

He added the Crisis Action Plan Against Covid Variants has been using the prevent, detect, isolate, treat, and reintegrate (PDITR) strategy and vaccination campaign to contain the pandemic.

Lorenzana also said the government aims to increase support to high-risk areas by adding bed capacity to critical hospitals and monitoring of emergency room waiting time.

Also included are the transfer of asymptomatic and mild Covid cases from hospitals to temporary treatment and monitoring facilities (TTMFs), mega TTMFs, and hotels.

Aside from this, the defense chief said they will intensify their efforts by helping communities detect Covid-19 cases and provide vaccination to priority sectors.