Kids should stay home for now.
The Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) recalled its resolution allowing children aged five and above outdoors due to the threat of the Delta variant of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said.
“Latest natin diyan ay hindi na muna nating papayagan sa ngayon (Out latest for that is we will not allow it for now),” Duque said in an interview over TeleRadyo on Friday, July 23.
The decision came after the Department of Health (DOH) confirmed the previous day the detection of local transmission of the highly contagious coronavirus variant in the country.
“Dahil nagkaroon na tayo ng Delta variant, nagkaisa ang IATF na i-aatras muna itong resolution na ito (Since we already have the Delta variant, the IATF has agreed to withdraw for now this resolution),” said Duque.
The Health chief was referring to the IATF Resolution No. 125, which allows children aged five and up outdoors in areas under general community quarantine (GCQ) and modified GCQ.
He said the IATF will make an assessment in the coming weeks from to determine whether it can reinstate the enforcement of its resolution.
“Kung makita naman na hindi naman patuloy na tumataas lalo dito sa NCR (National Capital Region), baka pwedeng ibalik natin yung Resolution 125 (If we see that cases will not continue to rise especially in NCR, maybe we can reimpose the Resolution 125),” Duque said.