Government employees’ work exempted from quarantine, testing protocols

MANILA, Philippines — Government officials and staff on official business won’t be mandated to undergo strict 14-day quarantine and testing protocols for COVID-19 imposed by local governments, the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) announced yesterday.

“To enable National Government Agencies and their attached agencies, including the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and the Philippine Deposit Insurance Corp. (PDIC), to fulfill their respective mandates, government officials/personnel on official business shall be allowed unimpeded travel to their place of destination and shall not be required to undergo mandatory testing and/or quarantine protocols of the local government units of destination,” read IATF Resolution 98-A.

At a press briefing, presidential spokesman Harry Roque Jr. affirmed the exemption but said that government employees “must present valid IDs issued by their respective government agency and an original or a certified true copy of the Travel Authority/Order issued by the Department Secretary or his/her designated official.”

The exemption came amid reports that some Cabinet officials and their staff are still reportedly being subjected to strict quarantine protocols, particularly when flying to Davao City to attend meetings with President Duterte.

At a press briefing, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire defended the IATF decision to exempt government officials from mandatory quarantine and testing to make their official travels swift and seamless.

But she maintained that officials still have to go through symptom screening “upon arrival or on the points of entry” in their destination and must strictly adhere to minimum public health standards being implemented against COVID-19. – Sheila Crisostomo