Cabaero: IATF move does not inspire confidence

Cabaero: IATF move does not inspire confidence

It was an unexpected decision of the multi-agency task force to allow international visitors to enter the country without testing or mandatory quarantine.

The decision of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF), the body that’s leading the country’s coronavirus disease (Covid-19) response, was sudden and came out of the blue. The discussion then was to lower alert levels at the nation’s capital or keep them in areas still seeing increasing infection cases. Nothing about unhampered entry into the country.

It was unexpected, out of the blue, and apparently triggered more by the need to reopen the economy to tourism than to manage the spread of the omicron variant. That IATF decision does not inspire confidence. It makes us question its judgment.

Starting February 10, 2022, the Philippines will allow entry to fully vaccinated international tourists from visa-free countries, provided that they present a negative RT-PCR test taken within 48 hours prior to departure from their country of origin. Upon arrival, they must self-monitor for any Covid-19 symptom for seven days, with the first date being the date of arrival. A facility-based quarantine is no longer mandatory, according to IATF Resolution 159 issued last January 27. Should they manifest a symptom, they will have to report their condition to the local government unit of destination.

In a separate announcement, the IATF also suspended the green, yellow, and red classification for countries beginning February 1. This means fully-vaccinated returning overseas Filipinos will no longer be required to undergo quarantine as long as they are able to present a negative result of an RT-PCR test taken 48 hours before departure.

These policy changes appear to be signals that the country is better prepared to manage the pandemic or that the spread of the virus and its variants is under control. Such is not the case, however, as the low rate of hospitalization and death is due to the character of the omicron variant, not to new controls. What also helped was that more Filipinos were vaccinated compared to the time of the Delta surge.

Dr. Tony Leachon, former government Covid-19 response adviser, questioned the IATF decisions. He posted on Twitter, “Removing the Covid test upon arrival for vaccinated travelers will potentially cause viral spread. How can we isolate and contact-trace? Who will monitor the symptoms upon arrival? The announcement is premature and fraught with loopholes. They need to revisit.” It should.

The next time the IATF imposes drastic changes to the country’s pandemic control policies, it should make sure to inspire confidence rather than leave Filipinos fearing another surge in infections. Confidence in the IATF decisions is crucial in this pandemic.

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