An official of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) official declared on Thursday, August 26, that the inability to immediately isolate confirmed coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) infected individuals has led to the increased number of infection cases in the country.

In a news briefing, DILG Undersecretary Epimaco Densing III confirmed that it takes about 12 days before the COVID-19 infected persons are brought to the isolation facilities.

He based this pronouncement when the DILG conferred with the Department of Health (DOH).

Densing noted that the government’s goal is to have the infected COVID-19 individuals be put in the isolation facilities supervised by the local government units (LGUs) in six days to arrest the skyrocketing number of the virus.

Before the COVID-19 surge, Densing said that the DILG had already coordinated with the governors and mayors and advised them to identify the areas where they intend to put up their “back-up isolation and quarantine facilities.’’

He noted that the additional isolation and quarantine facilities may be the motels, vacate buildings or hotels in their respective areas.

Densing also stressed the urgency of putting up these facilities to bring the COVID-19 infected people out of their residences to prevent them from infecting other family members.

He referred to this government’s new ploy as the “Pagtigil sa Kadena ng Paghahawahan nitong COVID-19 (Stopping the Chain of COVID-19 Transmission).’’

“Kung mailalabas ang infected (individual) o ang close contact at possibleng infected (person), kung ma isolate natin ng 14 days mamamatay lang ang virus sa kanyang katawan at di na makapanghahawa (If we can only get the infected or close contact of the possible infected, if we can isolate them in 14 days the virus will die naturally in the body without infecting others),’’ Densing said.

He identified Metro Manila, Region 4-A, Region 7 and Central Luzon as the areas of concern based on the DOH alert status.

Densing pointed out that the DILG took the initiative to confer with the LGUs to remind and provide inputs for them to identify and put up additional isolation and quarantine facilities.

Most LGUs had requested that they be allowed to use school facilities and public school buildings in their areas for this purpose, Densing added.

“Ito na po yung ating tinututukan natin ngayon dahil talagang kulang na po sila ng mga isolation at quarantine facilities para sa mga nakukuha at na dedetect nilang mga COVID positive (These are the things we are now focused on because they lack isolation and quarantine facilities for the individuals they had detected to be COVID positive),’’ he added.

Densing emphasized that the national government is prepared to provide the logistical requirements that include food in the isolation and quarantine facilities of the LGUs.

He noted that the national government has also asked the LGUS to be ready for the ‘policy shift on lockdowns’’ which was approved by the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF).

Under the scheme, Densing explained that there will no longer be extensive lockdowns at the regional and provincial levels where the mayors and governors will be given the authority to declare granular lockdowns.

In these areas, Densing stressed “there will be less mobility and people moving around because of this granulat lockdowns.’’ (Chito A. Chavez)