Govt activates 2nd phase of NAP: Covid prevention balanced with economic goals

Restoring business operations amid the novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19) is now the top priority of the government under its new national action plan against the pandemic.

On Thursday, the Interagency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) approved the proposal of the National Task Force against Covid-19 (NTF) for the second phase of its National Action Plan (NAP).

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the next part of the NAP will now shift from just containing the infection to restoring the operations of the economy, which was interrupted for over three months because of Covid-19.

“We will now establish a change in the thinking of the people, wherein the focus to health and preventing illness will be balanced with the economic [objectives],” Roque said.

He said this will be operationalize with the institutionalization of the prevent-detect-isolate-treat-reintegrate strategy of the government for Covid-19 cases, as well as the implementation of localized lockdowns.

The new phase of the NAP will also focus on returning overseas Filipinos, locally stranded individuals, and travelers since they could be at a high risk of being exposed to the virus, and then spreading it to their destinations.

Once fully implemented, the IATF said it will allow the gradual resumption of travel, tourism, and non-disruption of work.

The new NAP was contained in IATF’S Resolution 51, Series of 2020 which was approved on Thursday.