Even without a reported case of the highly contagious Delta variant in the province of Bulacan, Gov. Daniel Fernando directed the Provincial Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 to intensify efforts in the prevention, detection and treatment of cases.
“We are discussing today our preparation for the Delta variant, which we need to be overacting. We need to be on guard because it is more important to be prompt than to be diligent. We do not need to prolong it. It is here so we need to watch closely,” said Fernando.
The governor ordered the strict implementation of the Prevent-Detect-Isolate-Treat-Reintegrate (PDITR) Strategy, which was discussed during the 12th Joint Meeting of the Response, Law and Order, and Recovery Clusters of the PTF via Zoom application Friday.
Fernando said the province is doing a great job in terms of COVID-19 response, and he wanted to strengthen the already laid out strategies because based on studies, the Delta variant is the most transmissible version of SARS-COV2, the virus which causes the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
“Based on data from other provinces, I am convinced that we are doing a great job here in the province. Bulacan remains with the lowest active cases. Alertness is what we need to maintain here aside from precautions. We need to strictly implement minimum health protocols,” he added.
According to the report of the PTF Response Cluster Head Dr. Hjordis Marushka Celis, the province’s strategy to manage a possible surge should be focused on ensuring that the healthcare system is prepared regardless of community quarantine classification.
She also suggested the implementation of the accordion policy to prepare for hospital surge, which is the conversion and reconversion principle that determines if a hospital should convert regular hospital beds for intensive care unit (ICU) beds to help manage cases and save lives by ensuring that there are enough beds for critical and severe cases.
Both Fernando and Celis agreed that speeding up the vaccination rollout should be an utmost priority especially for senior citizens and persons with underlying conditions because if they remain unvaccinated, they will continue to be at risk of severe COVID-19 or hospitalization.