Palace: Wrong to say gov’t is ‘reactive’ in response vs Delta threat 

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque. FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — It is “wrong” to say that the government has been “reactive” in its response to the COVID-19 Delta variant, Malacañang said Tuesday.

“Mali po yan. Mali po yan. Isang linggo nga ang binigay na palugit ang publiko para paghandaan itong lockdown ng ECQ [enhanced community quarantine]. Maling mali po yan, hindi po tayo reactive. We are guided by science,” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in a press briefing.

(That’s wrong. That’s wrong. We gave a one-week grace period for the people to prepare for the ECQ. That’s very wrong, we’re not reactive. We are guided by science.)

Roque was reacting to criticisms that the government supposedly acted late to combat the spread of the Delta variant, 216 cases of which had already been detected in the country.

READ: Delta variant cases almost doubled overnight to 216, with 97 new cases — DOH 

“Sa ngayon po, itong linggong palugit ay wala pong danger na mauubusan tayo ng hospital facilities dahil tumataas [ang kaso] pero pinaghandaan naman po natin yan nung mga nakalipas na araw,” Roque said.

(Right now, during this week of grace period, there’s no danger yet that we will lack hospital facilities because the cases may be rising but we have been preparing for that the past few days.)

Starting Friday, August 6 until August 20, Metro Manila will be placed under enhanced community quarantine to curb transmission of the COVID-19 Delta variant.

Prior to the announcement of stricter measures in the region, several senators called for a more proactive response against the Delta variant.

Health authorities warned that active cases in Metro Manila alone could reach up to 500,000 by the end of September if an ECQ will not be imposed.

JPV