The Department of Health (DOH) said on Tuesday, March 15, that the term "Alert Level 0" is not yet final as it is still subject to change as it may cause confusion and complacency among citizens.
Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said that the term Alert Level 0 was a term used internally within DOH and the officials of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF). It was a term to describe a situation wherein Covid-19 cases are more manageable, the healthcare system can keep up, and the vaccination rate is high.
"This is a transitional stage where we can go to the next level or to this new regime of alert level system. So ibig sabihin yung Alert Level 0 na (It means that this Alert Level 0) terminology it's not a final term yet," she said.
Talking with experts, Vergeire said that this shouldn't be what it will be called because it may confuse people and make them think there's nothing to be cautious about anymore, or be complacent since it's termed as zero.
Vergeire then explained that in this so-called scenario, the country's situation continuously improves, Covid-19 cases continue to decline, and more areas are de-escalating to Alert Level 1. Under this, the government will be looking at the country's prevent, detect, isolate, treat and reintegrate (PDITR) response.
What will change according to her is the lessening of the required response especially in terms of logistics.
"Hindi na po natin kailangan magpa-dedicate ng beds sa ating mga ospital, babalik na unti unti ang non-covid services, ma-iintegrate ang COVID-19 conditions na pumapasok sa ospital sa infectious disease unit ng isang ospital (We no longer need to dedicate beds for Covid-19 in hospitals, non-Covid services will return gradually, and Covid-19 conditions entering the hospital will be integrated to infectious disease units)," she said.
The quarantine facilities, especially the mega-quarantine facilities, she said, will also be changed and be focused on other areas. Testing has already shifted as RT-PCR is only required for clinical management.
She mentioned that everything is being discussed right now together with experts, and there are no final guidelines yet.
One thing is sure, she stated, that in case the country would reach this point in the pandemic, the individual behavior and individual practices should remain such as the wearing of masks, self-regulation, physical distancing and washing of hands.