OCTA Research proposes 4-week MECQ to ‘knock out’ COVID-19 surge

MANILA, Philippines — While it understands the government’s concern over the economic impact of stricter quarantine measures, the OCTA Research group on Wednesday said a four-week modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) will surely “knock out” the current COVID-19 surge in the country.

In a televised briefing, Prof. Ranjit Rye of the OCTA said they would prefer a MECQ over the general community quarantine (GCQ) bubble in Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Rizal and Laguna if not only for its “social, economic cost.”

“But really po, if we want to end this, and we want to slow this down into a manageable level, the worst surge in the country’s history as far as fighting this COVID-19 is concerned, then maybe an MECQ of 2 weeks will really do it. It will slow it down,” Rye said.

“For four weeks, it will really knock it out. We will knock it out. Tamang tama, pagkapasok ng bakuna by that time, magandang timing,” he added.

(For four weeks, it will really knock it out. We will knock it out. It’s also the right timing because the vaccines would arrive around this time.)

In consideration of the economy and addressing the surge, Rye said this was the reason why they earlier proposed a “soft MECQ” where businesses will continue at a limited capacity, but all social gatherings will be prohibited.

“We will not be defeated by this surge. Confident kami that we will and we must overcome. But we have to start making decisions about restricting mobility for all sectors in a very strict way in the coming weeks,” Rye said.

DUTY AT HOME File photo shows health workers conducting free swab tests in Manila about a month before the easing of the deployment ban. —RICHARD A. REYES

The government has placed Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Rizal, and Laguna in a GCQ bubble until April 4 where several measures were revived like barring non-essential travel to and from these areas, prohibiting religious gatherings, and imposing a common curfew from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. excluding workers.

Malacañang said the government is expecting a 25 percent decrease in the number of cases as a result of these measures, but OCTA said this is unlikely as the changes in trends could not be seen in just four weeks.

EDV