Health Undersecretary Ma. Rosario Vergeire said that ‘quarantine fatigue’ could be one of the factors as to why there is a new uptick in the COVID-19 cades in the country.
In an online briefing, Vergeire said the public may have already become complacent as restrictions had been gradually eased in several localities.
It’s almost a year since President Rodrigo Duterte placed the entire Luzon province under enhanced community quarantine during the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.
“We have been seeing an increase in cases, and it could be due to some lapses in our minimum public health protocols. There is also a probability that we become complacent, likely due to quarantine fatigue,” she said.
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“This is why we are reminding the public to remember to strictly adhere to these protocols,” Vergeire added.
On Saturday, the country recorded 2,921 COVID-19 cases, the highest number of coronavirus cases since October 2020.
The new cases brought the national tally to 574,247. Saturday was also the third straight day that the number of new cases exceeded 2,000.
The death toll is now at 12,289 and recoveries now at 524,865.
Despite the increasing number of cases, the government continues to ease restrictions including the removal of mandatory RT-PCR tests.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque announced that the IATF gave a go signal to standardize rules on land, air, and sea travel crafted by the Department of Interior and Local Government in coordination with LGU groups.
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Under the IATF Resolution No. 101, travelers still have to undergo COVID-19 testing if required by the LGU of their destination – the provincial government, and authorities of highly urbanized cities and independent component cities.
But travelers can no longer be compelled to go on quarantine unless they exhibit symptoms upon arriving at their destination according to the resolution. They are also no longer required to secure a travel authority from the police’s Joint Task Force COVID Shield, even health certificates prior to their trip.
“Authorized Persons Outside of Residence (APORs) from national government agencies and their attached agencies must provide their identification card, travel order, and travel itinerary, and must pass symptom-screening at ports of entry and exit,” the IATF added. (TDT)
