PRESIDENT Duterte has eased the stay-home restriction in the National Capital Region and the provinces of Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal, or what is collectively called the NCR Plus, to modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) starting today (April 12) until the end of the month, presidential spokesman Harry Roque announced yesterday.
Aside from the NCR Plus bubble, the city of Santiago in Quirino province (Cagayan Valley Region) and Abra province in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) are also under MECQ.
Roque, who is also the spokesman of the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID), said under the general community quarantine (GCQ) classification for the rest of April are the rest of the CAR, the provinces of Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Batangas, Quezon and Lanao Del Sur; and the cities of Tacloban, Iligan, and Davao.
The rest of the country is under the most relaxed modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) classification.
The Metro Manila Council (MMC) said the new curfew hours will be from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. effective today.
Roque said that under the MECQ classification, local government units (LGUs) in the covered areas have been directed to increase their dedicated COVID-19 beds in isolation, quarantine and health facilities in coordination with the Department of Education (DepEd), the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), and the Department of Health (DOH).
“Hospitals must also be decongested through the partnership of hospitals with temporary treatment and monitoring facilities/ step-down facilities for mild/moderate care or home care, provided there is proof of capacity to do adequate quarantine/isolation,” he said.
He also said LGUs are required to set-up a local telehealth triaging system, equipped with sufficient medical personnel available to provide immediate medical and patient referral advice.
Roque said that following the order of the President to the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation to immediately pay for the reimbursement claims for COVID-19 of health institutions, private hospitals have committed to add 164 intensive care unit (ICU) beds for critical patients, and 1,158 regular beds for moderate and severe patients. He said the total regular beds for moderate and severe patients at present are now at 2,227, and 765 for mild and asymptomatic patients.
Temporary government treatment and monitoring facilities currently have 1,070 beds for moderate and severe cases available at the Quezon Institute and the National Center for Mental Health, and 795 beds available for mild and asymptomatic patients at the Manila Times College in Subic, New Clark City in Tarlac, Eva Macapagal Terminal in Manila and Orion Port Terminal in Bataan.
Roque said that at present, 74.34 percent of ICU beds are already being used, 46.04 percent of COVID ward beds are occupied, and 59.56 percent of isolation beds are inhabited.
Roque said LGUs under ECQ have also been asked to “prioritize the generation of demand for vaccination to those with highest risk for severe disease and death, particularly Priority Groups A2 (senior citizens) and A3 (with comorbidities) of the National Deployment and Vaccination Plan for COVID-19.”
He added the IATF also approved the proposal of the Department of Tourism to put up “free and temporary public walk-in and drive-thru vaccination centers in the vacant portion of the lots located in Nayong Pilipino” in Parañaque City to encourage more people to have themselves inoculated.
Roque said the IATF has likewise directed the Department of Labor and Employment and the Department of Trade and Industry to ascertain the number of employees who may undertake alternative work arrangements and its impact on the maximum carrying capacity of the MECQ areas.
CONTACT TRACING
Roque said the IATF approved the recommendation of the National Economic and Development Authority to use automatic contact tracing through the Smart Messaging System to further strengthen and improve the use of StaySafe.PH system, which is the official social distancing, COVID-19 health-condition reporting, and contact tracing system of the government.
Roque said initial testing of the StaySafe.PH system will be done on May 1 to check on its interoperability and the integration of all contact tracing applications in the country. There will also be testing of Pasig City’s Smart Messaging System, and the beta-testing in the consortium of Antipolo and cities of Pasig, Mandaluyong, Valenzuela.
The DOH shall ensure the integration of the StaySafe.PH system with the COVID Document Repository System (CDRS).
Roque said the Department of Interior and Local Government has been directed to be the over-all lead in the implementation of the contact tracing system, while the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) will lead in the national interoperability.
CHECKPOINTS
The PNP said policemen will continue to man checkpoints in the NCR Plus bubble, according to police spokesman Brig. Gen. Ildebrandi Usana.
Usana said PNP chief Gen. Debold Sinas convened a meeting yesterday prior to the announcement of the new community quarantine classification.
“Adjustments indeed have been discussed and settled for the MECQ implementation. The NCR Plus bubble will be kept under check. The essential travelers will be allowed 100 percent while non-essential travelers may be limited to certain percentage according to establishments but not more than 50 percent,” Usana said, adding that
essential stores in shopping malls will now be allowed to resume operations.
“Checkpoint in boundaries will remain,” he also said and assured that “still, no arrests shall be made by the PNP on violations of MPHS. Only warning and fines.”
In a related development. The Calamba City police yesterday said a quarantine violator died after he was manhandled by barangay tanods in Barangay Turbina in Calamba City, Laguna last week.
The victim, Ernanie Lumban Jimenez, was caught at around 11 p.m. of Wednesday by community leaders, who are members of the Quick Response Team of the barangay, for violating curfew hours.
“However, commotion ensued and according to witnesses, the victim was repeatedly beaten (up) by the alleged QRT team personnel of Barangay Turbina,” the Calamba City police said in a report. The victim supposedly collapsed. He was rushed to the hospital but later expired.
The suspects, identified as Arjay Bahan Abierta and Joel Oriel Ortiz, fled after the incident.
The incident was reported by Jimenez’ brother, Gledien Jimenez, only on Friday.
In its Facebook page, the Anakbayan Calamba said Jimenez was out to buy food when accosted by the barangay officials.
Jimenez went with the barangay officials to the barangay hall. When Jimenez asked permission to urinate, Anakbayan Calamba said the barangay tanods got irked, prompting Jimenez to run away out of fear. The group said the barangay tanods caught up on Jimenez and manhandled him.
Laguna provincial police spokeswoman Lt. Col. Chitadel Gaoiran said the PNP is due to file homicide charges against the suspects. — With Victor Reyes
