The Department of Health (DOH) said it will be endorsing a new alert level system that will be used as a warning signal to the public as the country eases its restrictions.
DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said during a press conference that the current alert level system is still based on the risk case classification and healthcare utilization rate of an area.
The DOH will submit in a meeting with the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) on December 5 a new alert level system, following the tropical cyclone warning system of PAGASA.
“[It’s] not to really revise the alert level system as to the indicators, but to revise and to redirect the alert level kung saan ang main objective na niya [wherein it’s new main objective] is to serve as a warning system for all of us,” Vergeire said.
“Parang ‘yung sa PAGASA na typhoon signals. ‘Pag sinabi ng PAGASA na Signal Number 1 tayong lahat, alam ng ating komunidad, ng ating public how they are going to respond at ganon din ang gusto natin sa alert level system,” she added.
Vergeire added that with the new alert system, the government will no longer inform the public of the restrictions set in an area under a particular alert level, but on how they should act based on their informed decision on Covid-19.
“Hindi na tayo ang magsasabi na kapag Alert Level 2 ka, dapat 50% capacity ka lang sa mga lugar. Dapat alam na ng bawat indibidwal at bawat Pilipino how you are going to respond based on your informed decision kapag ganito ang level ng alert system,” Vergeire said.
— Ronald Espartinez