The government removed the “new normal” in the list of possible classification of areas as the entire Philippines would remain under quarantine for now.
“For now, there is no ‘new normal.’ That means, all areas in the Philippines will still be under community quarantine,” presidential spokesman Harry Roque said at a press briefing.
“For now, that is the agreement, but that’s not permanent because guidelines change as members of the IATF meet,” he added.
Roque said the adjustments were intended to prevent a second wave of the virus.
“We are very careful while we are in the first wave. We have to reduce the numbers while we are in the first wave… There will be no ‘new normal’ in our classification, and everyone will remain under quarantine,” he added.
The Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) defines “new normal” in the Philippines as “emerging behaviors, situations, and minimum public health standards that will be institutionalized in common or routine practices and remain even after the pandemic while the disease is not totally eradicated.”
The IATF changed parameters on the classification of areas due to “developments in the situation of the COVID-19 health event in the country.”
As of June 23, the Philippines recorded an all-time high 1,150 COVID-19 cases. There has been a continuous increase of coronavirus infections since most areas in the country transitioned to more relaxed community quarantines.
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Under the new classification, which is stated in IATF Resolution No. 48 issued on Monday, areas may be placed under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ), general community quarantine (GCQ) and the most lenient modified general community quarantine (MGCQ).
The classification of areas would still depend on their case doubling time and critical care utilization rate, which would determine whether the area’s health facilities could still take care of COVID-19 patients.
High-risk areas will be placed under ECQ or MECQ depending on factors such as availability of health facilities. Moderate-risk regions will be under GCQ or MGCQ, while low-risk areas will transition to MGCQ.
Social, economic, and security factors, clustering of cases, health system capacity, and continuous trend of new cases are the basis for MECQ and MGCQ.