Cabinet members tasked to oversee COVID-19 response in NCR, other hotspots

The Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on Emerging Infectious Diseases on Wednesday tasked Cabinet officials to “provide stronger support” to areas where there is widespread community transmission of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

In a resolution, the IATF said the Cabinet officials must “strictly monitor health system performance, critical care capacity, and stringent compliance to surveillance, isolation, and treatment protocols” in their respective assignment cities and town.

The assignments are as follows:

National Capital Region

1. Quezon City - Health Secretary Francisco Duque III and Cabinet Secretary Karlo Alexei Nograles

2. Pasig City - Education Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones and Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat

3. Municipality of Pateros - Metro Manila Development Authority Chairman Danilo Lim

4. Marikina City - Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III and Commission on Higher Education Chairman Prospero De Vera III

5. Taguig City - Interior Secretary Eduardo Año and Bases and Conversion Development Authority CEO Vivencio Dizon

6. Manila City - Information and Communications Technology Secretary Gregorio Honasan II and Anti-Red Tape Authority Director General Jeremiah Belgica

7. Mandaluyong City - Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez 

8. Makati City - National Security Adviser Secretary Hermogenes Esperon, Jr.

9. San Juan City - National Economic and Development Authority Acting Secretary Karl Kendrick Chua

10. Muntinlupa City - Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade

11. Parañaque City - Presidential Peace Adviser Secretary Carlito Galvez, Jr.

12. Las Piñas City - Public Works and Highways  Secretary Mark Villar

13. Pasay City - Presidential spokesman Harry Roque

14. Caloocan City - Agriculture Secretary Secretary William Dar

15. Malabon City - Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III and Commission on Higher Education Chairman Prospero De Vera III

16. Navotas City - Budget Secretary Wendel Avisado

17. Valenzuela City - Science and Technology Secretary Fortunato Dela Peña

Bulacan - Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra

Cavite - Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana

Laguna - Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Martin Andanar

Rizal - Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi

The IATF also approved the resumption of the second part of the qualifying assessment (QA) for foreign medical professionals tentatively scheduled on September 19.

“Provided that the approved examinations to be held on September 19 to 21 for the Physician Licensure Examination and QA shall proceed only in areas under general community quarantine and/or modified general community quarantine,” the resolution read.

The IATF also approved the recommendation of the Department of Agriculture to issue a joint memorandum with the Department of the Interior and Local Government on the creation of local government-led rice task forces.

The Philippines has logged more than 143,000 COVID-19 cases as of Wednesday afternoon, with the bulk of infections still coming from the outbreak’s epicenter of Metro Manila. -NB/KBK, GMA News