IATF sets guidelines for ECQ decision

The Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) has set guidelines to decide whether to lift or extend the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in Luzon, which is set to end on April 12.

Parameters for the decision include trends in the COVID-19 epidemiological curve, such as doubling time and the acceleration or deceleration of new cases.

The capacity of the healthcare system, including the availability of quarantine facilities, contact tracing capabilities, PPEs for frontliners, and testing capacity, is also a key consideration.

Social, economic, and security factors will also be taken into account.

The Department of Health (DOH) is directed to aggregate and analyze relevant data for the IATF's deliberation and the President's final decision.

Several new quarantine facilities are being established, including the use of the Iglesia Ni Cristo's Ciudad de Victoria estate, a floating hospital, and numerous hotel rooms offered by private establishments.

Health maintenance organizations (HMOs), Philhealth, and health insurance providers are now exempted from quarantine restrictions.

The IATF has authorized a technical visit by 12 Chinese medical experts to aid in the country's COVID-19 response.

A new sub-technical working group, chaired by the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), has been created to propose ICT solutions for the pandemic response.