Malacañang sees possible slowdown in COVID-19 transmission

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque. Screenshot from PCOO Facebook video

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang on Thursday predicted a “slowdown” in the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the country with the government moving more virus patients to temporary treatment and quarantine facilities to avoid possible transmission of the disease.

The government earlier announced that all mild and asymptomatic COVID-19 patients would be transferred to state quarantine facilities to stem community transmission unless they have their suitable own rooms and bathrooms in their homes, and none of their family members are sick, vulnerable, pregnant, or elderly.

The initiative, according to presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, may result in a “significant decrease” in the number of COVID-19 infections.

“Perhaps in the next two weeks, we are hoping that it happens, we will see a significant decrease in the number of cases,” Roque said.

“It might even come close to actually flattening the curve if people will take heed of the warning already made by the President that he will not hesitate to revert back Metro Manila in particular to a more stringent quarantine (status),” he added.

President Duterte on Wednesday night extended the general community quarantine (GCQ) in Metro Manila until July 31.

GCQ has been the capital region’s quarantine status for six weeks now.

But the Palace official bared that Duterte initially agreed to put Metro Manila back to stricter lockdown measures but reconsidered, following appeals from COVID-19 response Chief Implementer Carlito Galvez, Jr. and Interior Secretary Eduardo Año who “passionately” argued to keep Metro Manila under GCQ and give its mayors a chance to improve on implementing quarantine protocols.

According to Roque, the goal for the capital region in the next two weeks is to further improve its case doubling time or the time it takes for new cases to increase two-fold which currently stands at 7 to 10 days.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III earlier claimed the country has flattened the COVID-19 curve, citing the improved case and mortality doubling rates.

He, however, recanted his statement and claimed that the Philippines only “bent” the curve.

There has been a continued rise in COVID-19 cases nationwide — which health authorities attributed largely to the country’s improved testing capacity and the increased contact among the population as a result of the relaxation of community quarantine measures.

The Philippines has had 10 consecutive days of over 1,000 newly reported cases, a significant number of which were recorded in Metro Manila, which remains to be the epicenter of the contagion in the country.

To date, there are 58,850 COVID-19 cases nationwide, of whom nearly half, or 29,015, are in Metro Manila.

Meanwhile, 20,976 patients have so far recovered and 1,614 have died.

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