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MANILA: Experts described the Philippines’ decision to reduce the minimum social distancing to 12 inches in public transportation as dangerous and premature on Monday (September 14), as the country posted another daily record for recently confirmed COVID-19 deaths.
Gradually reducing the distances between passengers to a third from the low of 1 meter could backfire, experts and medical professionals warn, and prolong the first wave of infections the Philippines has been battling since March.
The new rules went into effect on Monday, when the country reported 259 new confirmed deaths, a record for the second time in three days. Total deaths rose to 4,630, while infections doubled in the past 35 days to 265,888, the highest number in Southeast Asia.
“This will be risky, reckless and counterintuitive and will delay the flattening of the curve,” Anthony Leachon, former president of the College of Physicians of the Philippines, told the ANC news channel.
“Even if you wear a face shield and a mask, reducing the distance between them will be dangerous,” he said, adding that 1 or 2 meters was the minimum international standard.
New rules from the Ministry of Transport cut the distance to 75 cm on Monday, 50 cm on September 28 and 30 cm on October 12. Conversations and phone calls are now prohibited.
The Health Ministry on Monday urged the public to be “more vigilant” in difficult travel conditions and to choose other modes of transport if possible.
READ: The Philippine Ministry of Health says there are no conditions in place for accessing COVID-19 vaccines from the US.
Manila’s transportation systems are notoriously crowded, with commuting often involving long lines and several changes.
“We are likely to see an increase in cases and our recovery will slow down if we do this now,” said epidemiologist Antonio Dans.
Dans is a member of an alliance of health professionals that last month called for a tightening of the Manila closure, a “time-out” to prevent hospitals from being invaded. She urged rethinking the 12-inch rule.
The plan aims to help an economy that the government expects to contract 5.5% this year, the worst contraction in 35 years.
“The reopening of the economy will never happen unless viral transmission is controlled,” added Leachon, a former adviser to the government’s COVID-19 task force.
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