Gov't ramps up COVID-19 testing, tracing, vaccination vs Delta spike

The government is moving to boost its "proactive" measures to prevent the spread of the highly contagious Delta coronavirus variant in the country.

The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Infectious Diseases (IATF) has ordered authorities to accelerate efforts to test, trace, isolate to prevent the Delta variant from getting out of control. The government's vaccination drive will also be escalated to boost people's protection against the coronavirus.

"The IATF, on its 128th Meeting, also approved the continuous and strengthened implementation of the Prevent-Detect-Isolate-TreatReintegrate (PDITR) Strategy," Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said in a statement.

Roque said the government's strategy includes active case finding, intensified contact tracing, and immediate quarantine/isolation which should preferably be in a facility.

Localized lockdowns may also be declared by concerned local authorities to put any outbreak under control. Roque said the declaration of localized Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) down to the zone or barangay levels is permitted by the IATF.

The government task force also sanctioned the stricter implementation and observance of minimum public health standards as well as the fast-tracked deployment of COVID-19 vaccine, Roque added.

"The continued implementation of proactive measures and restrictions must be put in place to slow down the surge in COVID-19 cases, stop further spread of variants, buy time for the health system to cope, and to protect more lives," the IATF Resolution No. 128.

The latest directive was reached by the IATF during a meeting Thursday, July 22.

The Department of Health has confirmed the local transmission of the more virulent Delta coronavirus variant in the country. The country has reported 12 additional Delta cases that brought the total number to 47 as of July 22.