MANILA, PHILIPPINES – Predicting that the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) just might carry over well beyond this year, the local government of Quezon City on Thursday created a task force to oversee the city’s treatment and management of cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte underscored the need to create “Task Force COVID-19” to supervise the city’s battle against the viral disease following pronouncements of health authorities to prepare for the “new normal” phase. Among the functions of the task force is to engage in widespread testing and contact tracing and quarantine of suspect, probable or confirmed COVID-19 cases, on an individual, neighborhood or community level. Each barangay is asked to send at least two citizens which will be trained by QCHD’s Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (ESU) to become a contact tracing personnel of the task force. The task force is also authorized to procure state of the art equipment and facilities for testing, including laboratories and other relevant resources to effectively perform its mandate.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer June 11, 2020 05:37 UTC