QUEZON CITY -- Senior Undersecretary Jose Faustino Jr., Officer-in-Charge of the Department of National Defense, presided over the first Organizational Briefing of the National Task Force Against COVID-19 (NTF-COVID19) on 18 July 2022, at the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Building in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.

USec. Faustino, who is also the chairperson of NTF COVID-19, met with officials and representatives of different government agencies to discuss matters of concern pertaining to the projected rise in the number of COVID-19 cases.

“We cannot tell the virus to stop, so we should also not stop in anticipating what we can do to mitigate an increase in COVID-19 infections,” he said.

During the meeting, the Department of Health (DOH) presented data on the current uptrend in the number of cases, especially in the utilization of healthcare facilities and Intensive Care Units (ICUs) all over the country. The DOH, one of the agencies under the NTF COVID-19, is finalizing a surge plan which will be disseminated to all hospitals to prepare them for a possible spike. USec. Faustino also relayed to the members of the Task Force a directive from His Excellency President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. to intensify the distribution and administration of vaccines and boosters nationwide.

Usec. Faustino cautioned the public against becoming complacent during this pandemic and reiterated the importance of strictly complying with minimum safety and health protocols. (DND)