Massive forced quarantine may be done on a case to case basis -Galvez

The massive forced quarantine the government is planning to implement to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) may be done on a case to case basis, according to Carlito Galvez Jr., chief implementer of the national action plan against COVID-19.

Interviewed on Dobol B sa News TV on Wednesday, Galvez said they may take into consideration if the concerned individual -- a person under investigation (PUI) or a person under monitoring (PUM) -- can effectively do home quarantine.

“Case to case basis,” Galvez said when asked if the massive forced quarantine could exempt middle class people considering that they live in relatively bigger houses where a suspected case can effectively isolate himself or herself.

“Titignan po natin kung 'yung iba po na nasa middle class and even 'yung mga nag-volunteer na talagang magkaroon sila ng tinatawag na house quarantine para at least ma-obserbahan din po,” he said.

Galvez, a former military chief of staff and now the presidential peace adviser, on Tuesday said the government is considering a massive forced quarantine for the country's hundreds of persons under investigation and the thousands under monitoring for possible COVID-19 infection.

He said this may be implemented if the number of confirmed cases doesn't decrease in the coming days.

Galvez, during the radio interview, said the current home quarantine measure is not effective to control the spread of the virus, particularly in poor communities where space is limited for physical distancing.

"Ang medyo critical dito... 'yung tinatawag na self-quarantine o home quarantine, may not be observed by poor people kasi nakikita natin 'yung physical distancing cannot be implemented," he said.

Galvez said what is important is for the suspected cases to be looked into by health workers.

“At least kapag na-obserbahan, kapag may nakitang symptoms, at least ma-treat po agad,” he said.

Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles, meanwhile, underscored the importance of immediate isolation and treatment of COVID-19 patients.

“The way we will manage this is uunahin po muna namin i-manage ‘yung mga COVID-19 positive. So ‘yung severe and critical and even moderate ay gusto po natin ay lahat sila nandoon sa hospital,” he said in a virtual press conference.

“Puwede natin i-house ‘yung mild dun sa mga areas na puwede magsama sama ang lahat ng mga mild dahil kung hindi pa naman critical,  hindi pa naman moderate ang kanilang level ay maaari naman silang i-isolate as a group.”

Nograles said persons under investigation should be isolated from each other and from their families.

“Kailangan single room occupancy ang ibibigay natin na set up para sa kanila,” he said.

However, the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases is still discussing how to handle persons under monitoring, Nograles said.

“Ideally, siyempre gusto rin natin sila mahiwalay sa population kahit asymptomatic sila but they are PUMs dahil may close contact sila sa mga positive," he said.

The conversion into quarantine areas of huge facilities such as the Philippine International Convention Center, Cultural Center of the Philippines, ULTRA, Rizal Coliseum and the Philippine Arena is expected to be finished in 10 days, according to Galvez.

He said he wants to see if isolating the possible carriers of the virus could reduce the number of new cases and deaths. --with Virgil Lopez/KBK, GMA News