NCR mayors set to make recommendation on lockdown restrictions – Teodoro

 (Photo by GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE / Philippines Daily Inquirer)

MANILA, Philippines — Metro Manila mayors on Monday afternoon would likely make their recommendation on whether the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) in the National Capital Region (NCR) should be extended.

“Wala pang consensus na nabuo kahapon dahil ang mga Metro Manila mayors, ‘di muna nagdedesisyon hanggang hindi nakukuha yung data analytics at yung input ng economic managers natin at iniintay din natin yung input na mangagaling sa private sector,” Marikina City Mayor Marcelino Teodoro said in an interview on Teleradyo.

(There’s no consensus yet, Metro Manila mayors will wait for the data analytics and the input of the economic managers. We are also waiting for the input of the private sector.)

“Magkakaroon ulit ng pulong ang mga Metro Manila mayors mamayang alas-4 ng hapon at maaaring doon magkaroon ng recommendation na,” he added.

(Metro Manila mayors will meet again later at 4 p.m., there might be a recommendation by then.)

The Metro Manila Council (MMC), which is composed of NCR mayors, held a meeting Sunday night, Teodoro said.

This meeting, he said, gave the mayors the chance to be briefed by Health Secretary Francisco Duque III about various scenarios under different quarantine qualifications.

He said the DOH also presented to mayors the number of COVID-19 cases in the country and what measures can be done to reduce this.

“Bumababa ang kaso pero yet at critical level pa rin ang dami ng COVID cases kaya kailangan nating ipagpatuloy natin yung contact tracing natin. Sa ngayon 5 days ang contact tracing natin, sa loob ng 5 araw, nakukuha or nakikita natin yung mga close contact ng isang kaso,” Teodoro said.

(The cases have gone down but the number of infections is still critical, that’s why we need to continue with our contact tracing. Currently, contact tracing takes 5 days, meaning that it would take five days for us to determine the close contacts of a patient.)

The DOH also informed mayors about the utilization of hospitals and their capacity to handle COVID-19 patients.

“May mga scenario silang ipinakita kung sakaling mag-GCQ (general community quarantine) tayo, ano yung projection ng pagdami ng kaso at kung pagpatuloy ng dalawang linggo, yung MECQ, kung gaano karami, at isang scenario kung isang buwan pang ipagpapatuloy ito,” he added.

(They showed us the scenario if we shift to GCQ, what is the projection in terms of the infection rate, they also showed the scenario if we continue with the MECQ for another two weeks, or one month.)

Teodoro, however, added that the economic impact of extending the MECQ in NCR needs to be factored in as well.

The DOH and National Economic and Development Authority, the Marikina City mayor added, would meet at 2 p.m. on Monday to discuss the matter.

After the economic impact assessment has been considered, this is when the Metro Manila mayors will make their recommendation, Teodoro said.

If ever the MECQ will no longer be extended and the restrictions be shifted to a less stringent GCQ, Teodoro said the mayor were advised to still adhere to the strict implementation of the minimum health protocols as well as the effective rollout of vaccines.

The so-called “NCR Plus” bubble,  covering Metro Manila, Rizal, Bulacan, Cavite, and Laguna will remain under a modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) until April 30.

The areas were previously under a two-week enhanced community quarantine.

On Sunday, the Philippines logged 8,162 additional COVID-19 infections. Despite the still high daily count, active COVID-19 cases are steadily going down due to the high recovery rate.

As of Sunday, active cases were at 77,075, while 20,509 new recoveries brought the total recovery count to 903,665.

gsg