Palace nixes OCTA Research proposal: Gov’t not keen on another ECQ

FILE PHOTO: Vials of blood depicting a positive finding for coronavirus.

MANILA, Philippines — The government is not inclined to impose another strict lockdown like the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in the face of the COVID-19 Delta variant, Malacañang said Tuesday.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque issued this statement after independent pandemic monitor OCTA Research proposed the government’s implementation of “anticipatory, preventive and circuit-breaking lockdowns” to stop the imminent spread of the highly contagious coronavirus variant which may result in infection surges.

Roque said the government remains focused on maintaining the country’s “total health.”

“Sa ngayon hindi pa natin nire-recommend ang ECQ dahil ang ating ninanais ay total health,” he said in a press briefing.

(For now, we are not recommending the imposition of ECQ because we want to aim for total health.)

“Bawasan din naman natin ang hanay na mga magugutom na nagreresulta kapag tayo ay nag-ECQ,” he added.

(Let’s decrease the number of people who will go hungry, which happens when we impose ECQ.)

According to OCTA’s fellow Professor Ranjit Rye, Metro Manila is “officially in a surge,” with a COVID-19 reproduction number of 1.33.

READ: OCTA: PH needs ‘circuit-breaking’ lockdowns now amid Delta variant

He warned that the government should be proactive in dealing with the Delta variant because if this spreads, the government would “lose effective control of the epidemic.”

At present, Metro Manila is under general community quarantine “with heightened restrictions” until July 31.

KGA