Metro Manila Council chief sees another closure extension

MANILA, Philippines – The mayor of the city of Parañaque, Edwin Olivarez, president of the Metro Manila Council (MMC), has expressed confidence that the Interinstitutional Working Group on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) will support the convening of 10 of the 17 mayors of the metropolis. extend Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) in the capital region until May 30.

President Rodrigo Duterte is expected to decide on Monday whether to extend or facilitate the ECQ in areas with a high risk of new coronavirus transmission.

Metro Manila has been under ECQ since March 17. As of Sunday, the Philippines had 10,794 confirmed cases of coronavirus, more than half of which were in Metro Manila.

The death toll rose to 719 after 15 more patients succumbed to respiratory illness. Thirty-four health workers have died so far.

The President extended the ECQ in Metro Manila and several other high-risk areas until May 15 to curb transmission of the coronavirus.

On Saturday, a team of professors from the University of the Philippines (UP) recommended that the government extend the ECQ in Metro Manila and other areas, warning that premature relaxation could lead to 24,000 cases of COVID-19 and 1,700 deaths in mid-June. .

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the president would decide on Monday what recommendations the IATF will present to him.

Curve not flattened

“On Monday, we expect the President to approve the measures on what will happen before May 16,” Roque said at a televised press conference.

Previously, he said that the ECQ could be lifted but only in certain areas of Metro Manila, depending on the number of COVID-19 cases in specific locations.

Olivarez reiterated on Sunday that while there were significant improvements under the two-month ECQ, “we have not yet flattened the curve.”

Epidemiologist John Wong, an adviser to the IATF, and even the undersecretary of Health, María Rosario Vergeire, had claimed otherwise.

“What we really fear is a more severe second wave if we do not isolate COVID-19 patients,” said Olivarez, one of the first mayors of Metro Manila who called for the extension of the blockade.

Quarantine measures

The 17 mayors who make up the MMC met virtually on Saturday and recommended three quarantine measures as the regional closure is slated to end:

• Extend the ECQ until May 30.
• Raise the ECQ and proceed to a softer general community quarantine (GCQ) “until needed”, allowing some companies to operate and public transportation to resume.
• Put the entire Metro Manila under GCQ but allow local governments to close villages with still high cases of COVID-19 cases.

MMC is the policy-making body of the Manila Metropolitan Development Authority (MMDA) made up of the 17 mayors and representatives of other agencies.

The IATF will meet Monday morning to finalize its recommendations to Mr. Duterte on the ECQ in high risk areas and GCQ in low to moderate risk areas.

According to Roque, its technical working groups that developed the recommendations shared the opinions of the UP team. Mr. Duterte was expected to study the recommendations and decide on them on Monday afternoon, he added.

The cities of Las Piñas, Makati, Malabon, Quezon City and Manila reportedly voted to proceed with the GCQ.

The cities of Navotas, Mandaluyong, Valenzuela, San Juan, Pasay, Pasig, Taguig, Caloocan, Pateros and Parañaque voted to extend the ECQ in Metro Manila.

The cities of Marikina and Muntinlupa abstained.

However, MMDA CEO Jojo García denied the alleged vote. In a radio interview on Sunday, Garcia said that the mayors decided “unanimously” in their recommendations to the IATF.

Premature lifting

Senator Joel Villanueva warned the government not to prematurely lift its stay-at-home order in Metro Manila and other areas with high rates of coronavirus infection, noting that the country had not yet fully contained the contagion.

“Our suggestion is to gradually reopen the economy so that workers in essential sectors can start earning a living once again,” Villanueva said in a message from Viber.

He said a surge of infection was expected once the blockade was lifted.

“Is our health system ready for that? Are there protocols for monitoring and surveillance? Do we have accurate data to make an informed decision? I ask.

Increase the mass test

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said Sunday that the government had not been successful in increasing mass tests for coronavirus disease.

Gatchalian said that while the current average of 7,000 tests per day was already a big improvement from the previous rate of just 1,000, the Department of Health (DOH) could still improve.

The health department said that testing capacity should be increased through continued certification and capacity building of laboratories along with the use of alternative testing strategies.

DOH has certified the Jose B. Lingad Memorial Regional Hospital and Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center as Stage 5 laboratories that can perform RT-PCR (real-time polymerase chain reaction) tests for COVID-19.

“There are now a total of 26 licensed RT-PCR labs across the country, while three and 29 are in stages 4 and 3, respectively,” the health department said.

DOH said overall capacity to handle and admit COVID-19 patients was adequate with more than 50 percent of beds and mechanical ventilators in intensive care units, and isolation and COVID-19 rooms available.

–WITH A REPORT FROM MARLON RAMOS

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