Project's Historical Background

The Initial Outbreak

The story of COVID-19 began with the first outbreak of the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) in Wuhan, People’s Republic of China. The virus, which would come to be known as COVID-19, was officially identified as the cause of illness on 9 January 2020, when the first death was reported. The situation escalated rapidly, and by 30 January 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. As the virus continued to spread globally, the WHO declared it a pandemic on 11 March 2020, acknowledging the extensive and severe reach of the virus worldwide.

By 5 June 2020, the pandemic had led to 6,632,985 confirmed cases and 391,136 deaths across 213 countries.

National Response and Quarantine Measures

In the face of the pandemic's spread, countries began to implement their own responses. In the Philippines, the Department of Health (DOH) reported the first local transmission of COVID-19 on 5 March 2020. This prompted the DOH to raise the COVID-19 Alert System to Code Red sublevel 1 on 8 March 2020, to mobilize resources and prepare for the crisis.

The President declared a State of Public Health Emergency on 9 March 2020. This declaration mandated mandatory reporting, intensified government response measures, and the enforcement of quarantine and disease control protocols. The escalating situation led the government to raise the COVID-19 Alert System to Code Red sublevel 2 on 13 March 2020. Consequently, a one-month community quarantine was imposed in Luzon starting 16 March 2020.

Legislative and Emergency Measures

On 24 March 2020, the President signed the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act. This crucial legislation declared the situation a national emergency and facilitated the rapid implementation of the National Action Plan for COVID-19. It appointed the Department of National Defense (DND) and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) as lead implementers. The Act focused on several key areas:

1. Increasing diagnostic capacity to detect the virus.

2. Enhancing infection control in health facilities.

3. Expanding treatment capacity for both mild and severe cases.

4. Mobilizing financial support for healthcare providers.

5. Implementing communication strategies for risk management.

Evolving Quarantine Measures and Healthcare Challenges

As the situation evolved, so did the quarantine measures. On 15 May 2020, the National Capital Region (NCR), Laguna, Cebu, and Mandaue were placed under modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) until 31 May 2020. By 1 June 2020, regions were categorized into General Community Quarantine (GCQ) or minimum health standards depending on the case trends. However, a spike in cases led to the reimposition of modified ECQ in NCR, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal from 4 to 18 August 2020.

By this point, the Philippines had recorded 129,913 confirmed cases, including 239 serious or critical cases and 67,673 recoveries, with 2,270 deaths out of 1,769,881 tests conducted.

The New Normal and Ongoing Challenges

As quarantine measures were lifted, the government introduced the "new normal," emphasizing minimum health standards to prevent further spread. The aim was to avoid overwhelming the health system, which, according to recent studies, could have been swamped by over 1 million cases without such measures.

COVID-19 exposed critical vulnerabilities in the healthcare system, including widespread nosocomial infections and a significant shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) for healthcare workers. The demand for PPE was high, with around 30 sets needed per health worker daily, yet both government and private hospitals faced shortages.

Moreover, the low treatment capacity for moderate and severe cases highlighted systemic issues: the inadequate number of hospital beds (1 bed per 984 people), limited ventilators (approximately 2,000 nationwide), and insufficient critical care staff. This shortfall was compounded by financial constraints and delayed reimbursements from the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PHIC).

The pandemic underscored the urgent need for improved healthcare infrastructure and response capabilities to handle such crises effectively and to safeguard public health in the future.