MANILA - There is no need for stricter community quarantine yet despite the increasing number of new COVID -19 cases, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said Monday, adding that local governments can impose granular lockdowns.
As of Sunday, the Philippines has logged 3 straight days of more than 3,000 cases-the first time it happened since September 18-20 last year. This brings the total number of coronavirus infections in the country to 545,853.
“Right now, it’s not necessary — if you’re talking about MECQ (modified enhanced community quarantine) or ECQ (enhanced community quarantine). It’s not necessary,” Nograles told ANC’s Headstart when asked if there’s a chance the country will be placed under stricter lockdown.
(Right now, it’s not needed — if you’re talking about whether we will go back to MECQ or ECQ. It’s not needed.)
“The LGUs already have a localized and granular lockdown mechanism. Kumbaga ‘yan na’ yung (In a sense, that is) ECQ na granular and localized level per barangay, per street, per building, per purok, per sitio. They can already do that, “he said.
Nograles said the local governments’ “quick response and actions” will be monitored in the next 2 weeks “and then we’ll take it from there.”
Metro Manila and 9 other areas in the Philippines remained under general community quarantine, the 2nd loosest level, this month. The rest of the country is under modified general community quarantine, the least stringent restriction.
Nograles said the rising numbers cannot be “conclusively” attributed to the more transmissible variants originally detected in United Kingdom and South Africa, as he noted that some Filipinos have become “lax” in following minimum health protocols, such as wearing of face masks and face shields and observing physical distancing.
“I think we have to be cautious, extra cautious, double caution please. We don’t have to wait for that conclusive finding that it is carried by the South African and UK variant. I think it is safe to assume and I think we must “assume that can be a variable that is causing the spike. So we must be doubly careful,” he said.
(I think we have to be cautious, extra cautious, be twice as careful. We don’t have to wait for that conclusive finding that this is caused by the South African and UK variant. I think it is safe to assume and I think we must assume that can be a variable that is causing the spike. That’s why we have to be more careful.)
He said local governments must also be quick in tracing the contacts of COVID-19 cases. He added, these patients must be isolated in actual facilities instead of letting them stay in their homes where they do not have their own room and comfort room.
“The LGUs, the mayors will have to double up their efforts in terms of doing the isolation when needed. They’re the ones that can assess what’s happening in the communities,” he said.
“Together with the localized lockdown that they will do, we really need intensive testing and when we see who the positives are, we really need to isolate them in isolation facilities and if necessary, take them to the hospital,” he added.
(Together with the localized lockdowns they can impose, there has to be thorough testing and when they find positive cases, they have to be brought to the isolation facilities and if needed, to the hospital.)