MANILA, Philippines — The decision on whether or not to extend the existing enhanced community quarantine across Luzon will be made by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) by Monday, April 6.
This was revealed by Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles on Sunday, in an interview with radio station dzBB, wherein he also said that task force members are coordinating to come up with a recommendation to President Rodrigo Duterte.
“Opo, kasama ‘yan sa pag-uusapan namin para makagawa na kami ng rekomendasyon kay Pangulong Duterte, dahil ultimately si Pangulong Duterte naman ang magdedesisyon,” he said when asked about the pronouncement of National Task Force (NTF) COVID-19 chief implementor Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. on the extension of the lockdown for another 15 to 20 days.
(Yes, that is part of our discussion so that we can already make recommendation to President Duterte because ultimately, President Duterte will decide.)
Nograles noted that their decision will be based on scientific data such as “epidemiological trend, health capacity system, and social, economic, and security concerns.”
When asked if they already have the data they need, Nograles said they still have “inconclusive” data that they had to wait and look for any progress over the weekend and decide on a recommendation by Monday.
“So ang nadesisyunan po namin dahil nga ang hirap pong gumawa ng desisyon ay inano muna namin, pagpaliban muna namin itong weekend na ito, Saturday-Sunday para balikan lang namin ito tomorrow, sa Monday,” he said.
(So what we have decided since it is difficult to make a decision is we delayed it for until this weekend so we’ll get back to it tomorrow, Monday.)
“By that time, may mga bagong mga numero, may mga panibagong mga data na makikita natin at ‘yung trend na makikita natin, kung meron man na nangyari ngayong weekend,” he added.
(By that time, we will have a new set of number and there will be new data and we will see the trend and if there are updates this weekend.)
The Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine will be in effect until midnight of April 13.
As of April 5, the Philippine health department recorded 3,246 cases of COVID-19, including 152 deaths and 64 recoveries.