Virtual Presser on the Announcement of Enhanced Community Quarantine | March 27, 2021

March 28, 2021

In a virtual press briefing led by Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte has approved the recommendation of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) to place the National Capital Region (NCR), Laguna, Cavite, Bulacan, and Rizal under Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) from March 29, 2021 to April 4, 2021.

Below are the highlights of the presser:

ECQ Guidelines

• Implementation of temporary measures imposing stringent limitations on movement and transportation of people.
• Strict regulation of operating industries.
• Provision of food and essential services.
• Heightened presence of uniformed personnel to ensure ECQ protocols.

Implementation of Prevention, Detection, Isolation, and Treatment

During this time, the National Task Force (NTF) against COVID-19, relevant government agencies and local government units (LGUs) will be implementing the following measures.

On Prevention

• Enable adherence to minimum public health standards even at home.
• Distribute and promote use of personal protective equipment such as face masks and face shields.
• Retrofit workplace, establishments, and public places to ensure adequate ventilation, and compliance to engineering and administrative controls developed by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).

On Detection

• Establish Dharavi-like centers at the community that will actively look for suspect cases, test, contact trace, and isolate them.
• Ensure that LGUs should isolate, test, and contact trace suspect cases within 24 hours of their detection.
• 95% of close contacts must be traced and isolated/quarantined within 24 hours of case notification.
• LGU and Regional Epidemiological Surveillance Units to ensure continuous sample submission for surveillance (Whole Genome Sequencing) and continuous COVID-19 testing laboratory operations, even during the observance of holidays.
• Procurement of utilization of Rapid Antigen Test Kits approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the RITM for surveillance, provided that the funds to be used therefor shall not be sourced from the Department of Health (DOH) and that the use thereof follow existing DOH guidelines.

On Isolation

• Ensure that only less than 10% of cases and close contacts are on home isolation/quarantine.
• Ensure that the mandated 14-day quarantine and 10-day isolation are monitored and completed.

On Treatment

• Reduce occupancy by asymptomatic and mild cases to less than 10% of COVID-19 dedicated beds.
• Ensure that there are adequate numbers of COVID-19 dedicated beds, complementary health human resources, and well-coordinated triage and referral systems in places at the LGUs.

General Updates

• Essential and priority construction projects, whether public or private, are allowed to continue their operations in accordance with the guidelines of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
• Road, rail, maritime, and aviation are allowed to operate at such capacity and following the protocols of the Department of Transportation (DOTr)
• Mass gatherings are strictly prohibited including religious ones. Gatherings of more than 10 persons outside the household and indoor persons from outside the immediate household are prohibited.
• Those encouraged to remain at home at all times: Below 18 and over 65 years old, those with immunodeficiency, comorbidities, or other health risks, and pregnant women.
• Movement outside of residence is limited to accessing essential goods and services, and work in permitted offices or establishments.
• New curfew hours: 6:00PM – 5:00AM
  • Authorized personnel outside of residences, workers, cargo vehicles, and public transportation are exempted from the curfew.
• Travel pass is not needed.
• Malls are closed, except for establishments that offer essential needs and services such as groceries, pharmacies, hardware, etc.
• Restaurants and food establishments are only allowed to have take-out and delivery orders. Dine-in including alfresco dining is prohibited.
• Region III, Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), Batangas, and Quezon (from CALABARZON) must implement enhanced Prevention, Detection, Isolation, Treatment, and Rehabilitation (PDITR) measures.
• Due to the implementation of ECQ, the government will be providing financial assistance to displaced workers.
• Extension of ECQ beyond April 4, 2021 will be reviewed by the IATF.

LGU Measures for Potential Implementation following Regional IATF Concurrence

• Scope of lockdown may be extended to the whole municipality and city.
• Limit inter-zonal mobility, especially into and out of high-transmission areas.
• Limit non-essential travels within the lockdowns.
• Regional IAT should actively monitor, identify, and address gaps in PDITR implementation.
• Regional DOLE and DTI to inspect workplaces and establishments, and provide IATF with findings and action plans.
• Fast track vaccination of priority groups.

Implementation and Operationalization of Vaccine Clusters

• Maximize masterlisting and vaccination of Priority Group A1 (workers in frontline services including those reporting outside hospitals and healthcare facilities).
• Implementation of simultaneous vaccination of Priority Group A1 (healthcare workers) to succeeding priority groups up to Priority Group A2 (senior citizens) and Priority Group A3 (population with controlled comorbidities).
• Simultaneous vaccination of succeeding priority groups when supplies from multipartite agreements come in. The DOH and Vaccine Cluster are instructed to develop operational guidelines endorsed by the interim National Immunization Technical Advisory Group.
• Implementation of vaccination programs must be coordinated with the assistance of uniformed personnel, private sector, and support from other national government agencies.
  • Lessen on-site processes through completion of documentation and screening processes prior to the actual date of vaccination.
  • Designate and utilize larger vaccinated sites as necessary.
  • Maintain minimum public health standards.
  • Relegate administrative and ministerial functions to non-healthcare workers to reduce workload during actual inoculation dates.
  • Maximize business processes to ramp up the program such as but not limited to: marketing, organizing, managing manpower, and employing responsive Information and Communications Systems solutions.
  • Ensure continuous vaccination activities even during the observance of holidays.

Operational Industries

Full Operational Capacity

• Public and private hospitals
• Health, emergency and frontline services
• Manufacturers of medicines, medical supplies, devices and equipment
• Agriculture, forestry, and fishery
• Delivery and courier services transporting food, medicine, or other essential goods

50% Operational Capacity

• Private establishments that provide essential goods and services.
• Media establishments and their total permanent staff complement.
• Workers accredited by the DOTr.

With Skeleton Workforce

• Other medical, dental, rehabilitation, and optometry clinics, pharmacies, or drug stores.
• Veterinary clinics
• Banks, money transfer services
• Telecommunications companies, internet service providers, cable television providers
• Manufacturing companies and suppliers
• Funeral and embalming services
• Security personnel
• Real estate activities limited to leasing only
• Capital markets
• Water supply and sanitation services and facilities
• Energy and power companies
• Airline and aircraft maintenance, pilots and crew, and employees
• The Philippine Postal Corporation, Philippine Statistics Authority, Business Process Outsourcing, Export businesses, and Printing presses
• Humanitarian assistance and personnel from civil service organizations, NGOs, UN-Humanitarian Country Team
• Pastors, priests, rabbis, imams, or such other religious ministers (conduct of necrological or funeral rites)
• Repair and maintenance of machinery and equipment

DOH Advisory

As of March 27, 2021, 4:00 PM COVID-19 Update, the Department of Health (DOH) reported a total of 712,442 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, 9,595 of which are new cases, bringing the number of active cases to 118,112. There are 481 people who recovered from the disease, increasing the total number of recoveries to 581,161. However, 10 more died, increasing the local death toll to 13,159.

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