Government recalibrating anti-COVID-19 strategy’

MANILA, Philippines — The government is “recalibrating” its strategy for containing COVID-19 as the strict quarantine for Metro Manila and nearby provinces nears its end.

This was according to National Task Force (NTF) Against COVID-19 chief implementer Carlito Galvez Jr., who cited gaps in the enforcement of isolation of patients at the local level.

At a press briefing yesterday, Galvez reiterated the need for isolation to not be done at home but in facilities to limit the movement of infected individuals.

There is a substantial increase in cases of members of the same household/family getting infected.

The NTF, he said, sees home quarantine as the “culprit” in the rapid community transmission of the disease.

Again, Galvez underscored the need to balance health and economy.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque Jr.  maintained that there is “no disparity between reality and perception” on the COVID-19 situation in the country.

While the cases continue to go higher, Roque said the government has also been increasing its healthcare capacity, particularly adding bed capacities in hospitals and in a number of isolation facilities.

Roque did not rule out the possibility that some areas in the country would go back to modified general community quarantine but said he did not want to preempt President Duterte’s announcement on Monday.

At a virtual press briefing, Roque said the Philippines has low mortality rate compared to other countries – which is about 1.3 percent of the total cases or 0.6 percent for severe cases and 0.6 percent for critical cases.

The Philippines has administered two million tests.

“The Philippines has the highest number of tests done in Southeast Asia,” he said, surpassing even South Korea and Japan.