Have you ever worked on a final paper or thesis for school? If so, you probably had multiple versions of it saved on your computer, right? We’re talking “Thesis-FinalCopy.doc,” “Thesis-FinalRevisedCopy.doc,” “Thesis-FINALFinalRevisedCopy1.doc,” “Thesis-PromiseFinalNaToCopy.doc,” and so on.
In some ways, the quarantine announcements sound like your thesis files. First, they declared a community quarantine. Next, they placed Luzon under “enhanced community quarantine.”
And now, some extremely creative (and extremely bored) netizens have come up with a name for its final form. It’s the *holds breath* New and Improved Fortified Enriched Extreme Enhanced Community Quarantine with L-Carnitine, Gingko Biloba, Papaya, and Aloe Vera Extracts with Citrus Bio-Flavonoids and Lactobacilli Shirota Strain. Whew.
Kidding aside, have you ever wondered about what all these codes actually mean? For instance, on a scale of 1 to red, just how effed up are we?
So, to allay your fears (somewhat), here’s a breakdown of government alert levels and what they entail:
WHITE
Alert Level: 1
Trigger: An identified case of infection outside the country.
Corresponding Actions:
- The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) should coordinate with other embassies;
- All hospital personnel on standby for deployment if necessary;
- Increased surveillance at entry points;
- Stricter implementation of Health Declaration Checklists for all arriving passengers;
- Monitoring of confirmed cases abroad;
- Preparation of essential medicines and personal protective equipment (PPE’s);
- Review/updating of protocols from previous outbreaks;
- The beginning of Technical Working Group discussions.
BLUE
Alert Level: 2
Trigger: An imported case of infection inside the country.
Alert Level: 3
Trigger: The World Health Organization (WHO) declares a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.
Corresponding Actions:
- The activation of an inter-agency task force on emerging infectious disease;
- 50% of all hospital personnel shall report for duty to render medical and other services;
- Concerned agencies monitoring all inbound flights from affected countries;
- Stricter implementation of Health Declaration Checklists for all arriving passengers;
- Establishment of guidelines and testing set-up for disease surveillance;
- Readying of health facilities;
- Completing inventory, procurement, prepositioning and augmentation of PPEs, supplies, and other needed equipment.
- Partial restrictions on travel;
- Home quarantine and isolation for patients.
RED
Sub-Level: 1
Trigger: The confirmation of the first case of a local transmission.
Sub-Level: 2
Trigger: Established community transmissions and unlinked clusters of cases.
Corresponding Actions:
- 100% of all hospital personnel shall report for duty to render medical and other services;
- National declaration of a Public Health Emergency;
- Easing of processes pertaining to the procurement of critical logistics and supplies;
- Enhanced medical reporting;
- Mandatory quarantine measures;
- Stricter travel restrictions.
On second thought, we could probably use some of that Gingko Biloba and all those extra nutrients. The authorities did just recently declare the country under Code Red, Sub-Level 2.
Right, so unless you’re serving on the frontlines in some capacity, please ride this out at home. See you all on the other side, yes?
