Covid-19 trial vax team’s interzonal, intrazonal movement OK’d

MANILA – The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) has allowed the interzonal and intrazonal movement of Solidarity Trial Vaccines Team, Malacañang said Friday.

The IATF-EID gave its approval amid the Philippines’ participation in the World Health Organization Solidarity Trial for coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccines, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said.

“The IATF approved the inclusion of all researchers, workers, members and affiliate staff of the Solidarity Trial Vaccines Team as healthcare workers and as such, shall be allowed interzonal and intrazonal movement regardless of community quarantine classification and imposition of granular lockdowns,” Roque said in a press statement.

Roque said target participants and eligible patients who reside in areas under granular lockdowns may be allowed to leave their residences for purposes necessary for clinical trial.

However, they are not allowed to leave the area under granular lockdown, Roque added.

Revised guidelines on alert level system in NCR

Roque said the IATF-EID also amended the guidelines on the pilot of the alert level system in Metro Manila.

Under the revised guidelines, Roque said individual outdoor exercises may be allowed, so long as individuals are not required to remain in their respective residences.

Roque said wakes, funerals, inurnment for the cremains of the Covid-19 deceased would also be permitted, regardless of community quarantine.

The new rules will take effect “immediately,” Roque said.

“All contact sports, indoor or outdoor, shall remain prohibited, except those conducted under a bubble-type set-up,” he said.

Roque said personal care establishments offering aesthetic or cosmetic services, make-up services, spas, reflexology, aesthetics, wellness, and holistic services and other similar procedures, including home services, will still be prohibited.

“These should take effect on October 1, 2021, should the pilot implementation be extended beyond September 30, 2021,” he said.

Working group on uniform travel protocols

Roque said the IATF-EID also reactivated a small technical working group (STWG) that will propose refinements or amendments to the uniform travel protocols for land, air, and sea.

“The STWG shall further work on the harmonization of documentary requirements across all local government units and interoperability of available applications, such as StaySafe.PH, S-PaSS, VaxCert, [and] Traze,” Roque said.