Robredo asks IATF to set threshold for community quarantines
The government must use the available data on the coronavirus cases when it imposes quarantine restrictions in the country, Vice President and opposition leader Leni Robredo said.
Robredo said that quarantine levels must be based on data and not on the decision of local officials or agencies to prevent disagreements among them.
“Sa akin sana, base siya sa datos. Hindi siya nakabase sa desisyon ng mayor, hindi siya nakabase sa desisyon ng kung anong ahensya. Kasi kapag ganito, kapag nakabase siya sa desisyon ng isang tao, nagtatalo-talo,” she said over dzXL.
The vice president suggested to the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) to adopt measures similar to other countries where quarantine restrictions are imposed based on the number of COVID-19 infections.
“Sana 'yung IATF, baguhin iyong manner, iyong proseso ng pagdedesisyon. Para sa akin, mag-ano na lang tayo, ‘ECQ tayo kapag ganito iyong numero, GCQ kapag ganito iyong numero.’ Para hindi siya naiiwan sa discretion ng kung sino,” she said.
“Sa ibang bansa kasi lalo iyong mga naging successful, hindi nakabatay sa desisyon ng lider kung mag-e-ECQ ba, mag-GCQ. Sa kanila kasi levels—Level 1, Level 2, Level 3. Para sa kanila, automatic. Kapag ganito iyong numero, ganito iyong level,” Robredo added.
Most parts of the country are under the relaxed general community quarantine until the end of the month as the government seeks to jumpstart the economy.
President Duterte will decide this week whether or not to change the quarantine classification in Metro Manila and nearby provinces in October.
As of Sunday, the Philippines has 304,226 confirmed COVID-19 cases, 46,372 of which are active.
Robredo said that having an outbreak threshold can determine which level of community quarantine should be implemented in certain areas.
“Yung IATF ang mag-decide ano ba iyong threshold level, ‘di ba? Ano ba iyung threshold level, para kapag ganito— Halimbawa, puwedeng hindi buong Metro Manila. Puwedeng iyong mga matataas lang na mga transmission,” she said.