REST for health care workers in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) will depend on the managers of health care facilities.
Dr. Jennifer Joyce Pira, Medical Doctor 4 of the Department of Health (DOH)-CAR, said medical facilities must be available for the medical needs of patients seeking health care with or without the coronavirus disease (Covid-19).
"With regard to the timeout from our duties for instance in the hospitals, it would not actually be the decision from the DOH but the management of the hospitals," Pira said, adding hospitals have their own scheduling.
Although health care facilities in the Cordillera almost reached critical zone in the last week of November, measures were undertaken by managers to come up with more isolation beds and isolation rooms to cater to the needs of its severe or moderately severe and critical patients.
"Giving reprieve or timeout to our health care workers in the region is not going to be the control of the DOH, it would be the control of the health care facilities," Pira said.
Pira, meanwhile, reiterated to the public to avoid mass gathering in the meantime.
"We are really expecting there will be parties and gatherings that would happen but we should really encourage our citizenry here in CAR that during this Yuletide season, they celebrate it within the confines of their homes with their core families and if possible, avoid mass gatherings like reunions for the meantime to avoid our health care systems in the region specially here in Baguio City to be overwhelmed," Pira said.
As of December 2, Cordillera has logged 5,819 confirmed Covid-19 cases with 495 active, 5,262 recoveries and 62 deaths.
CAR's critical care utilization rate as of December 1 is at 44.92 percent, almost six percent shy of the 50 percent critical care utilization rate under DOH standards.