Senior officials disagree on new distancing rules in public transport

MIND THE GAP Passengers aboard this new minibus on the Roces-Cubao route, Quezón City, maintain their distance of 0.7 meters from each other following the new rules established by the Department of Transportation. The new regulation reduces the distance between passengers on the previous subway to contain the spread of the new coronavirus. – CHILD JESUS ​​ORBETA

MANILA, Philippines – On Tuesday, top officials publicly disagreed with each other on easing physical distancing rules in public transportation, with many more arguing that it was key to reviving the economy with some warning that it could further spread infections by COVID-19.

President Rodrigo Duterte would resolve the dispute if the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) could not resolve the disagreement, according to presidential spokesman Harry Roque.

The president asked the IATF, the interim government body in charge of the administration’s response to the pandemic, to provide him with a visual report on the effects of reducing physical distance so that he could understand it more easily.

Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade told the House of Representatives on Tuesday that the rules to reduce the physical distance between passengers on mass transit were “a product of the investigation.” But the Secretary of the Interior, Eduardo Año, said in a radio interview that local medical experts were not consulted and that the new regulations had not been approved and should be revoked.

At a press conference on Tuesday, Roque insisted that the IATF approved the new measure last week after the National Economic and Development Authority presented data on how “the economy cannot be opened without increasing access to public transport.”

He argued that no one opposed the new rules, whose implementation was left to the Department of Transportation (DOTr).

Working group meeting

The dispute between the officials broke out Monday night during a meeting of the president and some cabinet officials at the IATF. The meeting was broadcast on national television Tuesday morning.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III cited a study by the Alliance of Health Professionals against COVID-19, which warned that reducing physical distancing in public transport could result in 686 daily infections in Metro Manila and increase the number of deaths.

Ano, who recently recovered from a second COVID-19 infection, sided with Duque and health experts.

When participating in the meeting with the president through videoconference, Year said that the use of masks and masks only mitigated the risks, but that the key factor to reduce transmission was the physical distance of 1 meter.

He said it would be “dangerous” to reduce the distance to 0.75 meters, then 0.5 meters and then 0.3 meters, which DOTr began to implement on Monday.

Relaxing restrictions

“I agree with our healthcare industry that this will start another peak, it will be a roller coaster ride and we will get back to where we started. We could go back to the improved community quarantine, ”Year said.

In the House of Representatives, Tugade defended the new rules, saying the Philippines was not alone in taking steps to relax restrictions on mobility.

“With the reduction of social distancing, we can ensure that the issue of health and safety is not harmed as long as there is strict compliance and recognition of masks, face shields, hand washing … and not the entry of elderly people” , said.

“It is not the product of an instinctive reaction, but also the product of research,” he added, without giving more details about who carried it out and what their findings were.

Tugade said the gradual easing of the subway rule “does not mean that people crowd together.” According to the department’s projections, he said, only one to four passengers would be added to the regular capacity of jeepneys and buses, while only a few dozen would be added to trains.

In response to Tugade at the House hearing, Marikina Representative Stella Quimbo proposed adding more public utility vehicles like jeepneys.

About 18,000 of the 41,986 jeepneys in Metro Manila, or 43 percent, were already back on the streets, according to the Chairman of the Land Transportation Franchise and Regulatory Board, Martin Delgra.

Outdoor jeepneys

Public interest groups Action for Economic Reforms (AER) and Move As One Coalition said the “public outcry” was for more public transportation, not for reducing the physical distance between passengers.

“There is a need to address the lack of available public transportation by allowing more public service vehicles to operate and by providing safe alternative transportation options, rather than by relaxing our safety guidelines,” AER said in a statement.

More investments in public transportation, such as open-air jeepneys, could offer safe travel options for the traveling public, according to Move As One Coalition.

Carlito Galvez Jr., director of implementation of the National Task Force (NTF) COVID-19, said that alleviating physical distancing in mass transit was a matter of “risk management” that could be achieved by ensuring adequate ventilation and prohibiting talking, eating and using cell phones.

“Too much risk aversion is not good” for the country, he said.

“Other countries are evolving. We could be the only country left that is very strict with the distance of 1 meter, ”said Gálvez.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, president of the NTF COVID-19, endorsed the transportation department on the condition that the “seven commandments” to avoid the new coronavirus be strictly observed.

The “commandments” are: wear proper masks, wear face shields, do not talk or eat, ensure adequate ventilation, frequent and adequate disinfection, do not allow symptomatic passengers, and adequate physical distancing.

–With reports from Mariejo S. Ramos, Jeannette I. Andrade and Nestor Corrales

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