No advice from experts for total lockdown or Luzon quarantine extension, says Palace

MANILA, Philippines — Experts called by President Rodrigo Duterte have not recommended a total lockdown or a full extension of the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine after April 30, Malacanang said Tuesday.

“Limang oras po yung naging konsultasyon ng Presidente pero meron pong mga commonalities na sinabi ang mga dalubhasa. Ang mga commonalities po, number one, wala pong nagrekomenda ng total lockdown,” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in his online press conference.

(The consultation of the President lasted for five hours and there were commonalities found in what the experts were saying, among them being there should be no total lockdown.)

Roque said most of the experts have recommended to either retain, relax or lift quarantine measures in areas depending on the number of its COVID-19 cases, Malacañang said.

“Ang malinaw po ay wala pong nag-recommend na ang ECQ ay ipatupad sa buong Luzon. Ang sinasabi po nila, kailangan i-relax o i-lift doon sa mga areas na wala namang madaming kaso ng COVID-19,” he said.

(What’s clear is that nobody recommended that ECQ be implemented in the entire Luzon. What they’re saying is there is a need to relax or lift the quarantine in areas where there are less cases of COVID-19.)

“Ang opsyon na lumabas kahapon ay ipagpatuloy, o di naman kaya i-relax, o di naman kaya completely itigil ang ECQ sa iba’t ibang lugar ng bansa depende sa dami ng kaso ng COVID-19,” he added.

(The options that were given yesterday were to continue or to relax or to completely stop the ECQ in places in the country depending on the number of their COVID-19 cases.)

The President met with experts including former secretaries of the Department of Health (DOH) on Monday to discuss the government’s next step in curbing COVID-19 in the country.

Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said Duterte has yet to decide and is still weighing his options on what measures to impose once the Luzon-wide quarantine lapses on April 30.

Luzon was placed on an enhanced community quarantine last month to limit the public’s movement and flatten the curve of COVID-19 cases in the country.

As of Monday, there are 6,459 cases of respiratory disease in the country with 428 fatalities and 613 recoveries.

EDV