Government to do away with‘draconian lockdowns’

CEBU, Philippines — Malacanang yesterday said that only granular and localized lockdowns, not “draconic lockdowns,” will be allowed in the containment of COVID-19.

That is if they are at all needed, said Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque in a virtual presser, adding that the lockdowns have been causing poverty and malnutrition on the part of the children.

After six months of lockdown, everyone already knows what to do as far as preventive measures are concerned, said Roque.

As for the changing classification of quarantine status, he said it would be the government’s last resort.

“Kung wala nang magagawa, saka po tayo mag-reresort ulit sa lockdowns. For now, the strategy remains granular and localized lockdowns,” said Roque.

National Task Force on Covid 19 chief implementer Secretary Carlito Galvez also said earlier that there will be no more “draconic lockdowns” to be imposed in the country.

“Ang ginagawa po natin ay granular, yung malakihang ECQ is not sustainable. As presented by NEDA napakalaki ng epekto kapag ginagawa natin yung tinatawag na draconic lockdown,” said Galvez.

Galvez said they are currently looking at sustaining the gains from the previous action plans while putting an equilibrium to both health safety and economic recovery in the implementation of the National Action Plan-Phase 3.

“We assure the public that there will be no more trade-offs. It will be anchored on our risk management on health while we learn to live with the virus until the vaccine is available. Phase 3 of the NAP on Covid-19 is from this month to March 2021,” he said.

Economic focus

For the economy to breathe more, Galvez said “prevention, detection, isolation, treatment, and recovery” will have to be strengthened.

Under NAP-3, prevention includes the physical distancing, wearing of mask, washing of hands, personal hygiene be it at home, public places and workplace as well community lockdown if needed.

Detection, on the other hand, is the active case finding and syndromic surveillance, aggressive contact tracing and expanded community testing.

Once cases have been detected, isolation at designated facilities follows and no more home quarantine policy, as well as the construction support for government hospitals and expanded Oplan Kalinga and the treatment with a one hospital command, a mega temporary treatment and monitoring facility, public and private referrals and increased hospital capacities.

Recovery includes the continued observation of the minimum health standards, awareness for possible reinfection and social healing and economic recovery towards a new normal.

“I would like to remind everyone that we cannot afford to be complacent, lower our guards and cases will go up. The second wave is just around the corner. Let us continue to observe the minimum health standard,” said Galvez.

The country’s Covid-19 action right now is reflective of World Health Organization special envoy for Covid 19 Dr. David Nabarro’s statement that the WHO does “not advocate lockdowns as the primary means of controlling Covid-19.”

“The only times we believe lockdowns are just to buy you time to reorganize, re-group, re-balance your resources, protect your health workers who are exhausted. But by and large, we’d rather not do it,” he said.

WHO clarified earlier reports saying it is shifting position on lockdowns or back-flipped and instead said to take lockdowns as a last resort to contain the virus just as what Spokesperson Roque had said. /JMD (FREEMAN)