IATF eyes ‘new normal’ guidelines for areas with no Covid cases

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The Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) is now crafting guidelines for areas that may be placed under “new normal” classification as early as next month.

In an online press briefing on Monday, Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said his proposal for areas, which have no reported new cases of novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19) for several months, was already approved in principle by IATF members. 

He noted the IATF is now just finalizing the “do’s and dont’s”  for areas, which will be place under new normal, which has the most relaxed restrictions among the community quarantine classifications. 

Currently, only the following areas remain under general community quarantine (GCQ): National Capital Region (NCR), other areas, which will remain under GCQ are Isabela; Santiago City; Batangas; Iloilo City; Tacloban; Lanao Del Sur; Iligan City; Davao City; and Davao Del Norte.

The rest of the country is under modified GCQ. 

The government will issue a new set of classifications when the new current classifications expires on Jan. 31, 2021.

Roque said the possible declaration of “new normal” in some areas on Feb. will depend on existing data related to the pandemic such as daily attack rate and critical health capacity.