The new policy which allows government workers to be exempted from coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) health protocols was put in place to avoid delays in government transactions, according to Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire on Tuesday.
“This is really for ease of government transactions, because having to be quarantined while you need to attend a meeting or need to do work within that area would be something that could delay the transactions of government,” she told CNN Philippines.
The Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases released a resolution stating that government workers are exempted from Covid-19 testing and quarantine protocols as long as they have their IDs and went through symptom checks.
The said policy was supported by Malacañang even though there are accusations of double standards.
“These field visits, these meetings that we attend to, it’s not really to stay there for a couple of days or a number of days but really going there and exiting that specific locality after how many hours only,” Vergeire said.
“But of course, we need to ensure and we need to show people that we are very compliant with the minimum health protocols,” she added.
Ever since the pandemic started, several government officials like presidential spokesman Harry Roque, Senators Manny Pacquiao and Koko Pimentel and Philippine National Police chief Police General Debold Sinas, faced intense public criticism for violating health protocols. Ronald dela Cruz