Marcos calls on government’s double standard in enforcing pandemic control measures

MINERVA BC NEWMAN

CEBU CITY – Senator Imee Marcos called out on the government’s double standard in enforcing pandemic control measures when it allowed state employees to skip testing and quarantines in local government units (LGUs) where they arrive on official business.

“This is outrageous and dangerous. Why should anyone, least of all government employees who should be exemplars, be exempted from quarantine and health protocols?” Marcos asked.

She went on that the special treatment of government employees by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) makes it more difficult for LGUs to control the spread of COVID-19 and discourage the cooperation of the public.

Exempting government officials and employees from testing and quarantines in the “line of duty” won't sit well with ordinary people.  The IATF also needs to take time off to get enough sleep and relax. “Your work makes you prone to a burnout,” the senator added.

Marcos urged the IATF to abide by its rallying cry to “test, trace and treat” while the government’s vaccination program could not yet begin on a large scale citing the uncertainty of global vaccine supply.

She stated that Vaccine manufacturers have been falling short of their promised production output forcing the European Union to consider export controls.

Countries where pharmaceutical firms have made commitments to the Philippine government want to ensure the health and safety of their citizens first.

Marcos also cited the latest medical findings in Western countries where those who have already received COVID-19 vaccines still got infected.

“The LGUs know best the situation on the ground. The testing and quarantine protocols that each LGU has put in place should be respected,” Marcos said. (Photos: NTF files)