The coronavirus pandemic changed life as we know it and for Filipinos, whether or not they can go out of the house was defined by a new set of acronyms and terms.
Quarantines are revisited every month and it can be hard to keep track. You'll need to know if you are an APOR or your area is under GCQ or MGCQ.
We rounded up all the new normal terms that you need to know to guide you through the new normal:
- COVID-19: The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2.
- PPE: Personal Protective Equipment. It refers to protective gear worn usually by frontline workers against the virus.
- Frontliner: A frontline worker, especially in healthcare and other essential jobs necessary that provide basic goods or services. It also refers to those working public-facing jobs.
- ECQ: Enhanced Community Quarantine. It is the strictest form of lockdown in the Philippines.
- MECQ: Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine. It is the second-strictest form of lockdown in the Philippines.
- GCQ: General Community Quarantine. It is a more relaxed quarantine system that allows for partial economic activity.
- MGCQ: Modified General Community Quarantine. It is the most-relaxed in the Philippines' four-step quarantine system.
- PUI: Person under Investigation. It refers to an individual that shows symptoms of COVID-19.
- PUM: Person under Monitoring. It refers to an individual who has a travel history and record of exposure to a coronavirus patient.
- RT-PCR: Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction test or swab test is the "gold standard" of coronavirus testing.
- APOR: Authorized Person Outside of Residence. It's basically a police term used to distinguish who can move around without a quarantine pass, essentially those who can work during this time.
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