Duterte wants to create panel to look into developments related to new coronavirus strains

December 27, 2020

President Rodrigo Duterte is eyeing on creating a new task force which involves medical experts and doctors that will handle new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) strains.

During his emergency meeting last Saturday, Duterte said his office invited medical experts to help them understand about the new coronavirus strains, which were reported in the United Kingdom and other countries.

Duterte also said that there should be a point person on the issue especially now that countries are transparent in telling their COVID-19 situation.

“This new strain, of course, the first country who reported it was Britain. So let’s study this--- someone should be focused on this but I would suggest that we create a panel or a --- who would just be --- whose job would be only to observe the different progression and the identification of the new strain,” he said.

“We should look in these countries where we think that there is a spike and especially here in our country and we would know that,” he added.

The President said the new strains of the virus could not be avoided, thus, the government should be prepared.

“If there are no other department secretaries, we would ask the medical experts whether what we are planning to do is sound and doable. If not, kindly tell us, educate us so that we would know what to do, the proper thing to do,” Duterte said. Ella Dionisio/DMS