Año warns of ‘relapse’ of COVID-19 cases if lockdown gets lifted early

MANILA, Philippines — Interior Secretary Eduardo Año on Saturday warned of a resurgence of COVID-19 cases if the enhanced community quarantine over Luzon would be lifted before its deadline.

”If you lifted the lockdown early, our gains would be wasted. We have to sustain the gains. Otherwise, there will be a relapse, a second round, which we might find it hard to contain,” Año said, speaking partly in Filipino, in an interview over AM radio station, dzMM.

“We may find it hard to contain the surge because we have not yet reached the surge of the coronavirus curve. We stopped it because of the lockdown,” he added.

Año said the national government needs to prepare health care facilities, hospital beds, and ventilators in case of a surge of coronavirus cases.

Hospitals should also be prepared to admit 2,000 to 5,000 patients during the coronavirus disease pandemic, Año said.

The enhanced community quarantine over Luzon, which began on March 17, is scheduled to end on April 13. /atm

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