Barangay-level quarantines proposed

MANILA, Philippines — Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship and Go Negosyo founder Joey Concepcion urged the government to selectively lift quarantine restrictions at the barangay level when the Luzon-wide lockdown ends on April 30.

“Let us not penalize the barangays that are infection-free and have followed the President’s orders to stay home for six weeks,” Concepcion said in a statement.

But barangays that still have a high number of infected people should undergo another extension to ensure the containment of COVID-19, he said.

“This all serves as an incentive for the mayors, barangay captains and the residents to keep their barangays safe, with no new cases,” said Concepcion.

High infection rate

In Concepcion’s proposed barangay quarantine approach, mayor and barangay chairs would be empowered to extend the quarantine in their respective communities, especially if the rate of infection is high.

The implementing rules for extending the quarantine should be provided by the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases, which has been coordinating national efforts against the pandemic, he said.

“When we say ‘barangay quarantine,’ you don’t start by locking down a certain city, you start by considering quarantines for barangays that have high infection rates,” Concepcion said.

Such an approach might prompt some barangays to underreport for the sake of allowing their constituents to return to work and earn a living again but Concepcion said barangay quarantines would help identify the most vulnerable communities and allow local governments to redirect precious resources and services.

Improve rapid testing

“At this point in time, I believe every mayor and every barangay captain understand the risks and what is at stake. Hopefully, in the coming weeks, our rapid testing capabilities will improve,” he explains.

The approach may also cause social resentments because those living in crowded slums have less space for social distancing compared to wealthier communities but it will also allow authorities to focus on infected areas and hasten the testing of residents.

Medical experts, who have had the most experience in managing the COVID-19 outbreak in China, have urged the improvement of testing capabilities and the construction of more quarantine sites.

TreatmentThe medical team also made technical suggestions on diagnosis and treatment capabilities and increased contact tracing efforts, which can also be done more effectively at the barangay level.

The Chinese experts warned that the Philippines might not be able to control the coronavirus disease because many COVID-19 patients are still quarantined at home instead of being treated in hospitals.

Dr. Weng Shangeng, head of the Chinese medical team, urged the government to hasten the identification of coronavirus carriers who do not display symptoms so they can be treated immediately.

Depending on the number of confirmed cases in each area, the barangay quarantine can be upgraded to a city, municipality or even provincial quarantine should a wider lockdown be necessary and help revive the economy.