Development and operationalization of disaster risk management framework for COVID-19 pandemic: Quezon City inclusive unified response, recovery, and rehabilitation action plan 2020–2030

The first cases of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) were reported in Wuhan, China, in late 2019. Four months later around 1.699595 million people globally are infected with the virus causing more than 106,138 deaths.Various countries have taken preventive and control measures to combat this disproportionate impact of COVID-19. It was noted that the pandemic scenario projections work better once scaled down to city level. The QC Disaster Resilience Scorecard (DRS) and Public Health Addendum (PHA) are also the integral part of the methodology considered in operationalizing the DRMF-COVID-19-P. Hence, authors developed and operationalized a local level Disaster Risk Management Framework (DRMF) for COVID-19 Pandemic using 14 guiding principles. Consequently, Quezon City Inclusive Unified Response, Recovery, and Rehabilitation Action Plan 2020–2030 is prepared. It consists of 11 very dynamic Programs, Projects, and Activities (PPAs). Essentially, the accomplishment level of these PPAs and status of reproduction rate of the virus directs the assertion to end the current COVID-19 Lockdown or initiation of incremental ease in lockdown. In fact the timing to commence such initiation is depending upon the accomplishment of pertinent PPAs and scientific findings that recommend Smart Lockdown. It refers to the use of decision-making criteria such as confirmed case/outbreak threshold ratio, probability of outbreak, etc., defined by different authorities for decision-making especially in declaring of community quarantine at Barangay/Municipality/City level.