Umapela sa Department of Health (DOH) nitong Lunes, Enero 10, si Senator Joel Villanueva, chairman ng Senate Labor committee, na muling pag-isipan ang posisyon nito na paikliin ang quarantine period para sa mga fully vaccinated healthcare workers na nahawaan ng COVID-19.

“Cutting short their isolation puts at risk both healthcare workers and patients they care for in our medical facilities,’’ sabi ni Villanueva

“Not only does it endanger our healthcare workers, it also puts at risk their families whom they go home to after their shifts. As we’ve seen in the nearly two years of the pandemic, the path to recovery knows no shortcuts,’’ dagdag pa niya.

Sinabi ni Presidential aspirant Senator Panfilo M. Lacson na hangga't ang pinaikling isolation period ay science-based at hindi reaksyon sa napakalaking infection rate, hindi natin dapat problemahin iyon.

Empleyadong lasing, patay matapos sapakin ng ginising na katrabaho

“In fact, in my case, the original 14-day quarantine period that should end on Jan 18 is now reduced to 10 days which sounds good to me, but that is not the point. Health is everything especially with the almost uncontrollable spread that we are seeing now,’’ aniya.

Aniya pa, “Having said that, I’ll take the side of the HealthAlliance unless there is sufficient science-based data to support the DOH’s directive.”

Unang naglabas ng isang advisory ang DOH sa pag-amyenda sa quarantine at isolation period para sa mga healthcare workers "bilang contingency measure para sa pagpapanatili ng kapasidad sa healthcare capacity."

Sa ilalim ng advisory nito, sinabi ng DOH na maaaring paikliin ng mga hospital infection prevention and control committee (IPCC) ang mga protocol ng quarantine “for fully vaccinated health workers who are close contacts, consistent with health care capacity needs and individualized risk assessment.”

Mario Casayuran