By Ma. Teresa Montemayor
july 23, 2021
MANILA – Children would have to stay at home as the Inter-Agency
Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID)
suspended its earlier resolution allowing them outdoors due to the threat of
the highly contagious Delta variant, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said
Friday.
(PNA photo by Oliver Marquez)
“Ang latest natin diyan ay
hindi muna natin papayagan sa ngayon para lang makasiguro tayo…dahil nagkaroon
na tayo ng Delta variant, nagkaisa
ang IATF na
iatras muna itong resolution na
ito (The latest is we won’t allow [kids outdoors] just to make
sure…because there’s Delta variant [in the country], the IATF decided to recall
this resolution),” Duque said in a television interview.
Starting July 23, the quarantine status in Metro Manila
and four other provinces has been upgraded to stricter general community
quarantine (GCQ) “with heightened restrictions”.
This, after President Rodrigo Duterte approved the
IATF-EID recommendation to place Metro Manila, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Davao
de Oro, and Davao del Norte under a more restrictive GCQ from July 23 to 31.
Earlier, children ages five years old and above living
in areas under general community quarantine and modified general community
quarantine could go outdoors wearing masks and face shields through IATF
Resolution No. 5.
On Thursday, the Department of Health reported that
health authorities have detected local transmission of the Delta variant in the
country following a stringent phylogenetic analysis and case investigation.
So far, the country’s total number of Delta cases is 47
– 36 are recovered cases, eight are active cases and three are deaths.
"Kung
makita naman na hindi hindi naman patuloy na tumataas, lalo na dun sa NCR, baka
puwedeng ibalik natin ‘yung Resolution 125 kung saan pinahihintulutan na puwedeng
lumabas ang mga bata (If an increase [in Delta variant cases]
is not seen, especially in the NCR [National Capital Region], we may implement
Resolution 125 again allowing kids outdoors)," Duque said.
However, he added, these children must be with their
parents or guardians and must adhere to minimum public health standards when
outdoors. (PNA)
