Senator Imee Marcos warned that the special treatment of government employees by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) will make it more difficult for local governments to control the spread of COVID-19 and discourage the cooperation of the general public.
She scored the “double standard” in enforcing pandemic control measures after state employees were allowed to skip testing and quarantines in local government units (LGUs) where they arrive on official business.
“This is outrageous and dangerous. Why should anyone, least of all government employees who should be exemplars, be exempted from quarantine and health protocols?” Marcos said.
“It defies logic, to say the least. Exempting government officials and employees from testing and quarantines 'in the line of duty' won't sit well with ordinary people,” Marcos added.
She said the IATF also needs to take time off to get enough sleep and relax or they could burn out.
Marcos urged the IATF to abide by its rallying cry to “test, trace and treat” while the government’s vaccination program could not yet begin on a large scale, citing the uncertainty of global vaccine supply.
“Vaccine manufacturers have been falling short of their promised production output, forcing the European Union to consider export controls. Countries where pharmaceutical firms have made commitments to the Philippine government will want to ensure the health and safety of their citizens first,” Marcos said.
Marcos also cited the latest medical findings in Western countries where those who have already received COVID-19 vaccines can still be infected because the vaccine takes a few weeks to build up immunity.
1,790 new infections
The country logged on Sunday 1,790 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total infections to 537,310, the Department of Health (DOH) reported.
The DOH reported 70 new fatalities, bringing the death toll to 11,179 since the pandemic started, which is 2.08 percent of total cases.
The DOH also reported 11,388 recoveries, bringing total recoveries to 499,798, which is 93 percent of the total cases.
This left 26,333 active cases, which is 4.9 percent of the total cases. Of the active cases, 87.9 percent are mild; 5.6 percent are asymptomatic; 3 percent are critical; 2.9 percent are severe; and 0.67 percent are moderate.
The DOH also reported that, nationwide, 62 percent of the total ICU bed capacity are available; 66 percent of the total isolation bed capacity are available; 77 percent of the total ward bed capacity are available; and 79 percent of the total units of ventilators are available.
Palace confident Magalong will remain as testing czar
Also on Sunday, Palace spokesman Harry Roque said the country's testing czar, Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, who resigned irrevocably after he was seen at a birthday party where minimum public health standards were not observed, could be convinced to stay.
He said Magalong's letter did not say his resignation was irrevocable, which was why the National Task Force against COVID-19 had rejected it.
Roque said it was only a matter of time before Magalong would be convinced to stay as head of the country’s contract tracing efforts.
Last week, Roque said it is “100 percent sure” that President Rodrigo Duterte wants Magalong to stay as contact tracing czar.
“I have heard with my own two ears nothing but words of praises for Mayor Magalong from the President. So, of course, I am sure, I am 100 percent sure the President would want Mayor Magalong to stay on as contact tracing czar,” Roque said.
On Jan. 29, Roque announced that the NTF against the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Covid-19) rejected the resignation of Magalong who was recently criticized over his attendance at the birthday party of celebrity Tim Yap at The Manor Hotel in Baguio City where guests did not wear masks.
In several interviews, he said his resignation was irrevocable—but later denied that it was.