Thread by @teddycasino

(THREAD) Baka sabihing puro reklamo lang tayo. Here are SEVEN things government can (and should) do. These have been suggested time and again by critics of the government’s failed pandemic response:

1. Ramp up mass testing - from the current 30-40K tests per day, we have to test 120-130K per day to be able to identify those infected and pinpoint areas where more drastic measures are needed. Testing should be free of charge to encourage those suspected to take the test.

2. Expand contact tracing - from an average of 7 individuals per confirmed positive, contact tracing should expand to 1:37. Confirmed contacts of positive cases should be immediately tested & placed in quarantine, even if asymptomatic, pending the outcome of their test results.

3. Drastically increase free quarantine and treatment facilities - more pop-up quarantine and treatment facilities should be set up. Hotels, motels, pension houses and similar establishments should be converted into emergency quarantine or treatment facilities.

Health frontliners should be assured of timely payment of their salaries, hazard pay and other benefits. Government should fill up vacant plantilla positions for doctors, nurses, medical technicians and other frontline health personnel.

4. Expedite vaccine procurement and roll-out - daily average vaccination of around 20K is too low. There should be a more aggressive vaccination roll-out based on identified priority sectors. Government should work double time in procuring vaccines...

...and be preparing facilities and personnel for the arrival of bulk of the vaccines by 2nd quarter of 2021. In the short term, private corporations and health institutions should be allowed to procure and administer vaccines in close coordination with the DOH.

5. Ensure health protocols - government should never tire of reminding people of the need to wear face asks and face shields, physical distancing, proper hand washing and disinfection, adequate rest and proper nutrition.

Included in the health protocols is increasing the capacity of safe mass transportation systems, especially open air buses, jeepneys and tricycles, to allow people to travel to and from work.

6. Provide cash assistance, subsidy, social amelioration and emergency relief goods to most affected sectors - revive the Social Amelioration Program for the 18 million poor families affected by the pandemic. As part of an economic stimulus program,...

...give P10,000 monthly wage assistance for the next three months to displaced and affected workers and farmers, production subsidies for MSMEs to maintain their operations, and a moratorium on increases in the prices of power, water, communications and rent, among others.

7. Revamp the Inter Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging and Infectious Diseases (IATF-IED) - health professionals, medical experts & scientists should lead the IATF. Politics & business interests should take a back seat in the IATF’s decision-making functions.

There are more suggestions, but I’ll stop here since these are the most urgent.