MANILA, Philippines — Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año on Friday said he is optimistic that the stricter lockdown in Metro Manila and in nearby areas will slow down the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
“I am optimistic na with the 15 days MECQ (modified enhanced community quarantine), bababa ‘yan. Ang kailangan lang sumunod, huwag lang maging pasaway. Stay at home. With 15 days staying at home, marami tayong virus mapapatay,” Año said during a press conference about the launch of free rides for health workers when asked if the MECQ will be extended after 15 days.
(I am optimistic that with the 15 days MECQ, the COVID-19 cases will decrease. They just need to follow, don’t be stubborn. Stay at home. With 15 days staying at home, the virus will be gone.)
Nonetheless, Año said the government will rely on data to decide whether to lift or extend the lockdown.
“Huwag naman sana no, kasi gusto natin makapagbukas pa rin tayo ng ekonomiya. Balance between health and economy. Titignan natin yung figures,” the Interior Secretary said.
(I hope not, because we want to be able to open the economy. We must have a balance between health and the economy. We will look into the figures.)
To recall, Metro Manila, Laguna, Cavite, Rizal, and Bulacan were placed under the stricter modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) status from August 4 to August 18 to allow health workers to recover from exhaustion brought by the fight against COVID-19.
As of August 7, the Philippines has recorded 119,460 COVID-19 cases with 66,837 recoveries and 2,150 deaths.