Recalibration of strategies vs COVID-19 assured
MANILA – With the two weeks of a modified enhanced community quarantine in the National Capital Region and Laguna, Cavite, Rizal and Bulacan provinces will be utilized to recalibrate its strategies to respond to the challenges brought by COVID-19.
In his midday briefing, Secretary Roque said it is important to return to MECQ in hotspots as NCR and the four densely-populated provinces. Taking part of the briefing, UP Professors Ranjit Rye and Guido David said there will be as much as 220,000 cases by month’s end under GCQ but with the return to MECQ, some 50,000 t0 70,000 cases will be deducted from the projected number.
Rye said the transmission rate which is 1.5 is projected to go down to 1 after 15 days of MECQ implementation should everyone cooperate with the government and the private sector in lowering the transmission rate and trend, will help further reduce the number of COVID-10 cases in the country.
During the same briefing, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the two-week period will be used to strictly enforce localized lockdowns through local government units where active case finding will be made. LGUs need to do case finding and gather whose with symptoms, those who need isolation, and those who need to be tested.
She appealed to the citizens to change their respective behavioral patterns to protect themselves against the virus while waiting for the vaccine by observing the minimum health requirements for a healthy lifestyle and for LGUs, specifically the barangays, to enforce government and private sector efforts.
Today, the Department of Health reported a total of 106,330 cases nationwide with 65,821 recoveries and 2,104 deaths. Meanwhile, the Department of Foreign Affairs said 9,597 Filipinos contracted the COVID-19 virus with 3,251 currently undergoing treatment while 5,653 have either recovered or discharged by their respective hospitals. The DFA in their release today added there have been 693 deaths. The COVID-19 cases were reported in 71 countries where Filipinos have been deployed. (Melo M. Acuña)
Secretary Harry Roque. (Screen grab from RTVM/FEBC)
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