BY NOEL TALACAY
METRO Manila mayors are ready to put the capital region under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), the strictest among the mobility restrictions imposed by the government, as a proactive response against the spread of Delta varant cases of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
But Benhur Abalos, chairman of te Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), said that if the region is placed under ECQ, the government must give cash assistance to families in the National Capital Region (NCR) who would be affected by the strict lockdown.
The metro mayors also want the national government to release four million vaccine doses so they can ramp up their vaccination drive during the two-week period.
Abalos said the Metro Manila mayors have made the necessary request to the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF).
“SAP (Social amelioration program) assistance is important to address the concerns of underprivileged families as they will be the ones who will be greatly affected by the ECQ declaration,” Abalos said.
Abalos said mayors would also work to improve contact tracing, massive testing, and strict isolation to reduce COVID-19 cases in the region.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the IATF was set to meet with the Metro mayors yesterday afternoon. There was no update as to the outcome of the meeting until press time.
Roque said the IATF will review the call of the Metro Manila mayors for a two-week ECQ in NCR which will be dependent, among others, on the ability of the government to provide cash aid to those who will be affected by the lockdown.
He said the P1,000 one-time cash aid per individual, with a maximum of P4,000 per family, for Iloilo City, Gingoog and the provinces of Iloilo and Cagayan de Oro after being placed under ECQ in July was just recently approved.
He said a P1 billion budget had been released for the said cash aid that will benefit one million people and bigger funds will be needed if a stricter lockdown is imposed in Metro Manila. The Department of Social Welfare and Development sourced the cash aid from its Assistance to Individuals/families in Crisis Situation (AICS).
“The truth is I do not know if we have enough funds for assistance for another expansive lockdown. If it’s really needed, we will try to find som),” Roque said.
Roque said at present, Metro Manila has not yet reached the high risk level in terms of the attack rate and the health care capacity rate.
He said the government continues to exert efforts to slow down the spread of COVID-19 and is preparing for any eventuality.
Also to be discussed during the IATF meeting with the Metro mayors were the latest quarantine classifications approved by President Duterte, current health protocols and the travel ban on travelers from eight countries with high number of Delta cases.
President Duterte has extended the general community quarantine (GCQ) with heightened restrictions in Metro Manila until August 15 amid the local transmission of the Delta variant and the call of city mayors for a stricter lockdown to stem the spread of the pandemic.
The President also approved the recommendation of the IATF to place Bulacan, Cavite, Rizal, Laguna, Ilocos Sur, Cagayan, Antique, Aklan, Capiz, Negros Oriental, Zamboanga del Sur, Misamis Oriental, Davao del Norte, Davao de Oro, and Davao Occidental and the cities of Lucena, Naga, Bacolod, Davao and Butuan under GCQ with heightened restrictions from August 1 to 15
Duterte also extended the ECQ in Iloilo City, Gingoog City and the provinces of Iloilo and Cagayan de Oro until August 7; and approved the modified ECQ (MECQ) until August 15 in Ilocos Norte, Bataan, Lapu-Lapu City and Mandaue City.
Under the regular GCQ from August 1 to 31 are the provinces of Apayao, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Quezon, Batangas, Puerto Princesa, Guimaras, Negros Occidental, Zamboanga Sibugay, Zamboanga del Norte, Davao Oriental, Davao del Sur, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, North Cotabato, South Cotabato, Agusan del Norte, Surigao del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Dinagat Islands, and Surigao del Sur.
Also under GCQ until August 31 are the cities of Baguio, Santiago, Zamboanga, General Santos and Cotabato while the rest of the country is under modified GCQ.
Roque, meanwhile, said vaccine “czar” Carlito Galvez Jr. guaranteed that the national government can provide two million of the four million doses of COVID-19 vaccines that Metro Manila mayors are asking for.
Department of Health (DOH) Epidemiology Bureau director Dr. Alethea De Guzman and vaccine expert panel head Dr. Nina Gloriani, in a briefing yesterday, both cautioned fully vaccinated individuals to continue exercising caution as they could still get “breakthrough infections” especially if they go out and meet unvaccinated persons.
Gloriani said fully vaccinated individuals should not wander around while De Guzman said COVID-19 protocols should be followed especially by senior citizens.
Interior Secretary Eduardo Año has ordered a probe on a procession and mass gathering, a video of which went viral on social media, that occurred in General Trias City in Cavite last Sunday.
DILG undersecretary and spokesman Jonathan Malaya said the investigation is meant to identify all the people who may be held culpable for violation of community quarantine protocols. — With Victor Reyes
Malaya said Año tasked the DILG Calabarzon office to send a team to General Trias City to look into the “karakol” procession in Barangay Santiago that was attended by hundreds of people, most of whom were not wearing face masks and face shields and did not observe physical distancing.
“From the video we have seen, all of the minimum health standards and BIDA (solution) behaviors were violated by the participants. We will get to the bottom of the incident and determine who are those responsible,” said Malaya.
The province of Cavite is currently under general community quarantine with heightened restrictions and such processions are still not allowed.
Malaya said those who attended the procession should be also held liable for violation of the city ordinance on ahderence to minimum health standards.
Malaya reiterated that mass gatherings are not allowed under GCQ with heightened restrictions amid reports that basketball games are now being held in some barangays under such community quarantine status.
“Outdoor contact sports like barangay basketball games are also prohibited under GCQ with heightened restrictions and we are reminding all LGU officials to implement this strictly in light of reports that barangay basketball games have returned in some places,” said Malaya.
