IATF-EID Resolution No. 117, s. 2021

May 27, 2021

IATF-EID RESOLUTION NO. 117, S. 2021

WHEREAS, Section 15, Article II of the 1987 Constitution states that the State shall protect and promote the right to health of the people and instill health consciousness among them;

WHEREAS, Section 2 (b) of Executive Order No. 168 (s. 2014) mandates the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) to prevent and/or minimize the entry of suspected or confirmed patients with emerging infectious diseases into the country;

WHEREAS, on September 16, 2020, the President issued Proclamation No. 1021 (s. 2020) extending the period of the State of Calamity throughout the Philippines until September 21, 2021;

WHEREAS, the Department of Health (DOH), the University of the Philippines-Philippine Genome Center (UP-PGC), and the University of the Philippines-National Institutes of Health (UP-NIH) biosurveillance has detected B.1.1.7, B.1.351, P.1, and P.3 variants of the COVID-19;

WHEREAS, the Department of Health (DOH), the University of the Philippines-Philippine Genome Center (UP-PGC), and the University of the Philippines-National Institutes of Health (UP-NIH) biosurveillance has likewise received information on the existence of B.1.617 variant first detected in India;

WHEREAS, 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;

WHEREAS, as of May 27, 2021, there are a total of Forty-Eight Thousand One Hundred Nine (48,109) active COVID-19 cases in the Philippines.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, as it is hereby resolved, that the IATF approves the following:

A. The recommendations of the National Task Force Against COVID-19 on refining Priority Group A4 of the COVID-19 Immunization Program are hereby adopted, the specifics of which are as follows:

1. Outbound Overseas Filipino Workers for deployment within the next four months from the intended date of vaccination shall be re-categorized to Priority Group A1;

2. Immediate family members of healthcare workers shall likewise be included under Priority Group A1, should supply be available;

3. The following shall be included to be eligible for vaccination under Priority Group A4:

i. Private sector workers required to be physically present at their designated workplace outside of their residences;

ii. Employees in government agencies and instrumentalities, including government-owned and controlled corporations and local government units; and

iii. Informal sector workers and self-employed who may be required to work outside their residences, and those working in private households.

5. n Vaccine deployment for Priority Group A4 shall be initially focused on the following geographical areas:

i. National Capital Region, Bulacan, Pampanga, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Metro Cebu, and Metro Davao; and

ii. Workers from all other areas.

6. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Local Government Units (LGUs) shall be required to exert any and all efforts to continuously prioritize the A1, A2 and A3 Priority Groups by establishing special lanes and/or vaccination centers for them to ensure that health frontliners, senior citizens and other vulnerable sectors of the population continue to be prioritized in the vaccination program. Among the Priority Group A4, LGUs may give preference for persons aged forty to fifty-nine (40-59) over persons aged eighteen to thirty-nine (18 to 39) years old.

B. The recommendations of the Sub-Technical Working Group on Information and Communications Technology to further improve on the use of StaySafe.PH is hereby adopted, the specifics of which are as follows:

1. The use of the modules for establishment protection, as well as citizen application, subject to the presentation to the IATF of its operability; and,

2. The Joint Administrative Order for the Interoperability of All Contact Tracing Applications.

C. The recommendations of the IATF Technical Working Group, the specifics of which are as follows:

1. DOT-Accredited Accommodation Establishments with Certificates of Authority to Operate for Staycation (CAOS) ("Staycation Hotels") may accommodate guests for staycation purposes at up to one hundred percent (100%) of their venue capacity. Staycation Hotels may forego with the COVID-19 testing of guests as a prerequisite for accommodation; provided, that only individuals ages 18 to 65 shall be allowed as guests.

2. Accommodation establishments accredited by the Department of Tourism (DOT) in areas under General Community Quarantine may accommodate guests for leisure purposes for up to thirty percent (30%) of their venue capacity subject to DOT guidelines; provided, that guests shall only come from the same household; and provided, further, that the local government unit with jurisdiction over these Accommodation Establishments shall strictly monitor their compliance with minimum public health standards.

3. To be included in the Vaccine Information Management System and ease of generating vaccine cards, local government units are mandated to adopt and utilize the Department of Information and Communications Technology Vaccine Administration System (D-VAS), to be done in phases as may be determined by the DICT. The adoption and use of D-VAS is without prejudice to the use of the LGU's own local database system as a supplementary system.

The first phase of the D-VAS shall be implemented in the National Capital Region, Region III, Region IV-A, Cebu City, and Davao City.

D. Off-track betting stations of the Philippine Racing Commission may be allowed to resume, limited to the purpose of selling tickets only, in areas under General Community Quarantine and Modified General Community Quarantine. Provided, that minimum public health standards are strictly observed.

RESOLVED FURTHER, that the Chairperson and the Co-Chairperson shall be duly authorized to sign this Resolution for and on behalf of the Inter-Agency Task Force.

APPROVED during the 117th Inter-Agency Task Force Meeting, as reflected in the minutes of the meeting, held this May 27, 2021, via video conference.

(SGD.) KARLO ALEXEI B. NOGRALESSecretary, Office of the Cabinet SecretariatIATF Co-Chairperson

 

n Note from the Publisher: Copied verbatim from the official document. Irregular numerical sequence.