Duterte: Lockdowns, public obedience helped flatten PH’s COVID-19 curve

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte said Monday that the flattening COVID-19 curve in the country was due to the government’s imposition of community quarantine as well as the public’s obedience to health protocols.

“The coronavirus curve flattened, meaning to say there are now [fewer] people with the disease called COVID-19,” Duterte said in a televised address aired Monday.

“Ito kasi mga kababayan ko, ito ‘yung mga ginawa nating preventive measures. Kagaya ng COVID quaranatine, nakatulong talaga ‘yun. Malaking tulong ‘yun because kokonti lang ang tao naglalakad na maco-contaminate ng iba,” he said.

Pres. Rodrigo Duterte. Screengrab from RTVM

The President also expressed appreciation to the public for obeying the government’s guidelines to prevent the transmission of SARS-CoV-2, the new coronavirus that causes respiratory ailment COVID-19.

“Ganito ‘yan, sumunod kasi kayo sa pinapagbawal ng gobyerno. We had obedience and people followed. That meant a lot and contributed to what is happening now that there’s a flattening of cases,” Duterte said.

Over the weekend, the University of the Philippines said that COVID-19 infections in the country have already leveled, noting the low number of case reproduction rates.

Despite this, however, experts reminded the public that the virus remains and that the country should keep its momentum in continuously lowering its recorded infections.

The Philippines on Monday recorded the lowest daily increase of COVID-19 cases since July 15 at 1,383, driving the nationwide total caseload to 238,727, including 2,890 deaths and 184,906 recoveries.

KGA