IATF orders 14-day quarantine for COVID-19 close contacts

MANILA, Philippines — Close contacts of persons believed to have contracted COVID-19 are mandated to complete their 14-day quarantine in isolation facilities, the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) said yesterday.

The government also mandates the 10-day isolation for suspected, probable and confirmed cases, under the guidelines for COVID-19 strategy adopted by the IATF in Resolution No. 83 signed on Thursday.

These rules form part of the Department of Health (DOH)’s Revised Omnibus Interim Guidelines on prevention, detection, isolation, treatment and reintegration strategies for COVID-19.

The IATF also pushed for the strict implementation of minimum public health standards, rational assessment based on symptoms and exposure and facility-based quarantine and isolation.

Under the present rules, Filipinos and foreigners who arrive in the country are mandated to undergo quarantine while waiting for the results of their swab tests.

For local residents, those who are classified as close contacts of confirmed COVID-19 carriers are also advised to undergo isolation. Those who travel from one province or region to another are subjected to IATF regulations on inter-modal movements.

Meanwhile, presidential spokesman Harry Roque assured the public that the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) disbursed P2.1 billion to pay for the hotels used as quarantine facilities for returning overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

Roque issued the statement when asked about the P241 million which the OWWA needs to pay for the hotel accommodation of OFWs.

“According to OWWA, they already paid P2.3 billion to various hotels,” he said.

Roque in the meantime said the IATF would take up in the next meetings the proposal to ban street caroling during the Christmas season amid the pandemic.

Cagayan Gov. Manuel Mamba earlier proposed the measure to curb the transmission of COVID-19.

The IATF has banned Christmas parties in Metro Manila to prevent mass gatherings.