Workplaces, poor communities critical areas for virus transmission — Galvez

MANILA, Philippines — Workplaces in economic hubs and informal communities are the most critical areas for COVID-19 transmission, chief implementer of the government’s pandemic response Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. said Thursday.

Galvez said the task force saw “grave violations” in the observance of minimum health standards with the presence of canteens and smoking areas which are sources of transmission.

“Kahapon, we saw that the most critical areas right now are the workplace. Yung tinatawag natin na economic hubs at the same time yung tinatawag nating industries,” Galvez said in a press briefing.

(Yesterday, we saw that the most critical areas right now are the workplace, what we call the economic hubs and industries.)

“We saw that there are grave violations in terms of observing yung minimum health standards, in terms of nag-e-establish sila ng canteen, meron silang smoking areas. That became the source of contamination,” he added.

(We saw that there are grave violations in terms of observing the minimum health standards by establishing canteens and smoking areas. That became the source of contamination.)

Galvez also noted that public transportation, shuttle services and other common areas are “vulnerable” to the virus transmission.

Metro Manila, Bulacan, Laguna, Rizal and Cavite are under modified enhanced community quarantine until August 18. Under this lockdown measure, public transportation is suspended and most industries are only allowed to operate at limited capacity.

LOOK: Last minute shoppers queue in line outside a grocery store in San Juan City on Monday, August 3, as the national capital region (NCR) prepares to revert back to a stricter modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) for two weeks.-INQUIRER/GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE

Apart from workplaces, Galvez said densely populated areas are also prone to COVID-19 transmission.

“Especially yung poor communities, hindi sila makapag social distancing considering that yung family nila ay nakatira sa maliliit na bahay,” Galvez said.

(Especially in the poor communities, they cannot observe social distancing considering that their family lives in a small house.)

“Based on data na nakita natin sa hospitals, ang contamination  ngayon is not only by individuals, ngayon by families na ang contamination,” he went on.

(Based on data from our hospitals, contamination is not only by individuals but by families.)

The Philippines has been recording thousands of cases in a single day the past few days, with the total number at 115,980.

EDV