Gov’t adviser bats for MECQ, stringent localized lockdown in Metro Manila
MANILA, Philippines — Metro Manila should be de-escalated to a less stringent quarantine status after August 20, but localized lockdowns should be strictly imposed in areas where there are clustering of COVID-19 cases, special adviser to the National Task Force Against COVID-19 Dr. Ted Herbosa said Wednesday.
Herbosa echoed the Department of Trade and Industry’s proposal for Metro Manila to de-escalate from enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) to modified ECQ to help Filipinos who have lost their livelihoods due to strict lockdown.
“Kung ako, opinyon ko lang ang masusunod, bababa ako sa MECQ at paiigtingin ng mga mayor, LGUs yung localized lockdown, testing and tracing. Para hindi lahat ng area napapahamak. Para yung area na may clustering, masugpo agad,” Herbosa said in a televised briefing when sought to comment on Metro Manila’s quarantine classification after August 20.
(In my opinion, I will de-escalate to MECQ and strengthen the localized lockdown, testing and tracing of LGUs. So that not all areas will be greatly affected. So we can immediately address the area with clustering of cases.)
Herbosa also noted there has been a bit of decrease in the country’s cases after 10,000 cases were recorded on Tuesday compared to the more than 14,000 cases logged the past few days.
“Nagtala tayo ng 10,000 from many days na over 14,000, parang tatlong consecutive days na 14,000 tapos kahapon bumaba na,” Herbosa said.
(We recorded 10,000 cases from 14,000 I think the past three consecutive days. Yesterday, it went down.)
READ: DOH reports 10,035 new COVID-19 cases
“Mukhang may tulong yung ginawa nating ECQ, sana tuluy tuloy ito at hindi dumami,” he added.
(It looks like the ECQ is working, hopefully cases will continue to go down and will no longer increase again.)
The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases is expected to come up with a decision on new quarantine classifications for Metro Manila on Thursday as the ECQ over the region will lapse after August 20.
