The Prime Minister, Taur Matan Ruak, chaired today, June 25, 2020, in the Council of Ministers room in Dili, a meeting of the Interministerial Coordination Commission for the implementation of prevention measures and the control of the new Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) with the coordinators of the Situation Room of the Integrated Crisis Management Center (CIGC).

The meeting had three main objectives, which were to discuss the need to extend or not extend the state of emergency, to analyze the strategy to be followed after the state of emergency and the data on the report being prepared by the CIGC, to be presented to the National Parliament, on June 30.

The state of emergency was declared on March 28, by the President of the Republic, Francisco Guterres Lú Olo, for a period of 30 days, to cope with the spread of the new Coronavirus, having been renewed twice for equal periods. The third phase of the state of emergency ends at 11:59 p.m. tomorrow, June 26.

The Interministerial Commission has decided that the President of the Republic will not be asked to extend the state of emergency and the coordination powers of measures to combat COVID-19, will be passed on to the Ministry of Health in coordination with the CIGC and other relevant Ministries.

The Interministerial Coordination Commission for the implementation of prevention measures and the control of the new Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) is also abolished, with its powers transferring to the Council of Ministers.

The meeting also decided to extend, for another month, the contract with the airline Air North, which since April 10 carries out regular flights to Timor-Leste, allowing to maintain an air transit route, in order to ensure the supply of medicines and equipment necessary for the prevention and combat of COVID-19 and also the supply of essential goods fundamental to the life of the population and national companies.

The meeting discussed the need to maintain the objectives of containment, control and combating COVID-19, as well as the strategic objective of establishing response mechanisms to the alert system and the operational objectives of continuing to screen and testing in quarantine centers and identified contamination areas.

At this stage, planning should be geared towards avoiding the resurgence of new cases and it will be essential to continue with border control, quarantine, and isolation measures.

Diplomas, recently approved by the Council of Ministers – aimed at offering epidemiological and health surveillance authorities a range of measures and mechanisms appropriates to the protection and promotion of public health -, were also addressed at the meeting,  so as to avoid and neutralize risks of the spread and spread of diseases in the population.

The report to be delivered to the National Parliament describes the activities of the CIGC, prevention and control of the new Coronavirus, and includes sentinel surveillance data, results of studies and risk analyses, infrastructure projects, listing of partner support, presentations and minutes of meetings.

The Prime-Minister ended the meeting congratulating all CIGC members for their work in combating COVID-19 and expressed respect and admiration for the work done by the entire CIGC team.