DESPITE the downward trend in coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases in the National Capital Region (NCR), the Department of Health (DOH) yesterday said the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) imposed in the NCR Plus should be extended by another two weeks.
In a radio interview, Health Secretary Francisco Duque said: “If we look at the data, I firmly believe that we should extend the MECQ for another week or two since our health system capacity has not yet improved much as of now. Let us continue the MECQ so we can see a bigger decrease in cases and, possibly, reverse the trend completely.”
The modified enhanced community quarantine imposed over Metro Manila and the provinces of Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal is set to end on April 30.
Duque’s statement was supported by Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire, who said their position was anchored on scenarios presented to the DOH by their panel of experts.
In a virtual press briefing, Vergeire said that the experts presented projections under three scenarios: a shift to general community quarantine (GCQ) by May 1, an extension of the MECQ by two weeks, and a shift to GCQ by June 1.
“As a health agency, we can see the importance of being able to continue these kinds of restrictions so we can continue giving respite and decongest our healthcare system,” she said, adding: “We know that if we loosen the restrictions, cases will go up. But if we maintain these restriction level, we can be able to stabilize.”
The Philippine College of Physicians (PCP) said they are also asking for an extension of the MECQ.
In a television interview, PCP vice president Dr. Maricar Limpin said they believe that the effects of the two-week enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) from March 29 to April 11, and the current MECQ have yet to be fully felt in hospitals and other healthcare facilities.
“These did not make a dent as far as the number of people that are being seen in the hospitals. It is still too early to lift the restrictions that we have right now,” said Limpin.
“We pray that the government, particularly the top leaders of the country, will heed the call of the health professionals that it is really not yet time to lift the MECQ that we have,” she also said.
The Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases) is expected to discuss this week the new quarantine classifications for next month.
Epidemiologist Dr. John Wong said that despite the declining number of COVID-19 cases, he is not yet in favor of downgrading the current quarantine level in Metro Manila.
“Without seeing any indicators, I will not recommend it,” he said when asked if the MECQ can now be lowered to a GCQ.
Wong said the observance of the ECQ and MECQ contributed to the drop in the number of COVID-19 cases but the declining R naught would not enough basis to lower the current quarantine level in Metro Manila and the nearby provinces to a GCQ.
Wong said factors such as the ability to keep the R naught down, the compliance of people to minimum health protocols, the readiness of businesses to reopen under a GCQ, and the ability of the government to vaccinate and meet the herd immunity target at the soonest time possible need to be considered.
He said LGUs should be able to provide answers on how well people are complying with health protocols such as wearing of masks and social distancing, how fast LGUs are able to identify people with COVID-19 symptoms and on how fast they test, isolate, and quarantine; and what percent of cases and close contacts compete isolation and quarantine periods; while businesses should be able to provide information on how well they are observing the two out of three rules on ventilation, masking, and social distancing.
Wong said the national government, meanwhile, should be able to provide the data on how fast the vaccination pace can be increased to 350,000 jabs per day, to be able to achieve herd immunity by 2022, will also be useful to make a complete assessment.
Meanwhile, the DOH agreed with the independent OCTA Research Team in saying the decline in COVID-19 cases in Metro Manila is no longer artificial.
“We are no longer seeing an artificial decline. We have already factored in the fact that there are lower numbers every Monday and Tuesday due to non-operational laboratories,” said Vergeire.
“There was a decrease in cases in the NCR from 10,800 seven-day moving average from the previous week to 9,500 last week,” she added.
Despite this, the health official reiterated that there remains no room for complacency versus COVID-19.
“While the numbers went down, we should not be complacent since the daily attack rate in the NCR is still high. About 19 to 55 cases are still detected for every 100,000 population,” said Vergeire.
On Sunday, the OCTA team said COVID-19 trend lines clearly show a downward trajectory for new cases in the NCR.
The group also noted that the virus’ reproduction number (R naught) in the NCR is down to 0.93 for the week of April 18 to 24, as compared to the 1.90 prior to the ECQ imposition.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the lower number of COVID-19 cases and the declining R naught in the NCR are already the results of the two week- ECQ and the current MECQ.
“Because of the drop in the R naught, we can say that the two-week ECQ and two week MECQ worked,” Roque said, adding that another factor that contributed to the lower number of infections was the effectiveness of the Prevent, Detect, Integrate, Treat, and Reintegrate (PDITR) strategy implemented by local government units (LGUs) in its barangays.
Roque said to sustain the lower number and in anticipation of new COVID-19 cases, the government will continue to strengthen the PDITR system and sustain improvements in the healthcare utilization rates by increasing the current ICU bed capacities by at least 200 beds in the NCR area.
He said ward and isolation beds would also be increased through the construction or expansion of facilities such as the Eva Macapagal Super Terminal Isolation Facility, which was opened yesterday at the South Harbor in the City of Manila, and the isolation facility at Camp Olivas in San Fernando City in Pampanga that will open on Friday.
The Eva Macapagal Super Terminal Isolation Facility, which was used last year to accommodate repatriated seafarers and overseas Filipino workers who were quarantined for 14 days, was converted into a 250-bed for asymptomatic and mild COVID-19 patients, while the isolation facility in Camp Olivas will provide 32 beds for asymptomatic and mild COVID-19 patients.
Meanwhile, the Department of Tourism (DOT) reminded the public that non-essential travel to and from the NCR Plus is not yet allowed.
“Leisure travelers from the aforementioned region and provinces are encouraged to postpone their travel plans to any areas outside the bubble until such time that the (IATF-EID) will lift the travel restrictions,” the DOT said in a statement.
In a bid to help decongest hospitals, the DOH said the government is set to provide COVID-19 patients on home quarantine with “home care packages”.
According to the Vergeire, COVID-19 patients that have mild symptoms or are asymptomatic will be given assistance in the form of a home care kit. “We will be including in this kit the preventive equipment, like masks, alcohol or sanitizers, face shield, as well as common disinfection supplies like bleach or cleaning materials,” she said. — With Jocelyn Montemayor
