City bares ‘Omicron’ variant contingency plan
Suppress transmission; reduce exposure; protect the vulnerable; Reduce mortality and morbidity from all causes, and save lives.
City disaster risk reduction and management office head Antonette Anaban said these are the four goals of the city’s contingency plan against the Covid-19 Omicron variant during the virtual management committee meeting, Dec. 1, of local officials led by Mayor Benjamin Magalong.
She said suppression transmission objectives are to prevent viruses in high-risk settings; detect and test suspected cases; investigate clusters; trace contacts; quarantine and support contacts; communicate and implement time-limited measures to reduce potentially infectious contact; prevent amplification of events; manage points of entry; and ramp up vaccination.
Reduce pressure objectives are counter misinformation and disinformation; communicate, engage with, enable and educate communities about risk reduction; public health measures; and indoor ventilation.
Build vaccine acceptance; ensure vaccine deployment readiness; communicate, implement, and monitor vaccination campaigns are the objectives of protecting the vulnerable goal.
Objectives of the goal to reduce mortality and morbidity are early diagnosis and care; increase health care capacity; ensure health workforce is trained and protected; guarantee access to medical supplies and equipment; vaccinate priority groups.
The plan’s priority areas are ramp up vaccination of priority groups; stricter border control; continue granular lockdowns; monitoring of critical supplies and equipment; mandatory facility-based isolation/quarantine; strict monitoring of compliance with minimum public health standards; activation of contingency plans of hospitals including their accordion policy.
Strengthen risk communication; restrictions of unvaccinated individuals in their homes unless with valid reasons; patient transport service; regulate mass/social gatherings; contact tracing; emergency hiring of health workers; tourism events; triage resources; and Covid-19 appropriation, are the other priority areas, Anaban said. – Gaby B. Keith
