President Duterte wants the government to form a new task force that will deal with the new COVID-19 variant — but this time, it will be comprised of health experts.
Duterte made the statement during a meeting with the government's pandemic task force and other medical experts to discuss the new COVID-19 strain in Malacañang on Saturday.
In the said meeting, Duterte ordered the departments of Health (DOH) and Science and Technology (DOST) to create a new task force separate from the Inter-agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases that will focus on the new COVID-19 variant known as B.1.1.7.
"I'd like them (DOH and DOST) to create another task force, hindi itong atin, wala man tayong alam diyan, medical (not the IATF because we don't know anything about that because it's medical)," he said.
"Medical persons na nakatutok lang diyan sa bagong strain (I want medical experts to focus on the new strain), whether or not it is here or not or whether it is as virulent ," he added.
For now, President Duterte said it is safe to assume to treat the new strain like how the government handles the original SARS-CoV2 virus and to assume that it will really arrive in the Philippines.
"Let's do it this way: We will assume that it will really happen. We will assume that that new strain will arrive in the Philippines. Let us proceed from that premise," he said.
"We cannot — unless we float the country, papasok talaga 'yan (It will really come here). The strain will — that’s why I said a task force so that we will be advised immediately. Papasok talaga 'yan dito (It will really come here)," he added.
The President likewise stressed the need to be prepared for the new strain of COVID-19.
"I think we should not really be complacent about it. We should treat them as a deadly disease that could enter," Duterte said.
"Pag-aralan natin. Kailangan may nakatutok talaga diyan (We should study it. There has to be someone who will just focus on that). I would suggest we create a panel whose job will be only to observe the different progression and the identification of the new strain," he added.