Effects of ECQ may take 2 weeks to manifest

MANILA, Philippines — The effect of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) on COVID-19 cases in Metro Manila and surrounding provinces may take up to two weeks to manifest, an adviser of the National Task Force (NTF) against COVID-19 said yesterday.

NTF adviser Dr. Ted Herbosa clarified that the thousands of infected patients reported in the past week might have gotten the virus a week before the ECQ was imposed.

He said it was possible that the symptoms of the COVID-19 patients reported in the past week had surfaced four or five days after contracting the virus and that they had themselves tested afterward.

“So what we’re seeing as large numbers these past days, it’s possible they were infected a week before we transitioned into strict ECQ,” Herbosa said in an interview on dzBB.

Citing the World Health Organization, the Department of Health said in March last year that the incubation period of COVID-19 ranges from one to 12 and a half days.

Since the movement of people was being restricted during ECQ, Herbosa said the effect of the ECQ could be seen in about a week or two.

“The ECQ is a time when the contagion is going to be prevented and the movement of people is restricted,” he added, explaining that the number of COVID-19 cases cannot be expected to decrease right away.

On Saturday, the government extended the ECQ imposed in Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal until April 11.

Albay Rep. Joey Salceda said the government should take advantage of the extended lockdown in the NCR Plus bubble to improve the capacity of hospitals to manage the surge in COVID-19 cases.

Salceda, who chairs the House committee on ways and means, said lockdown extensions only work with expanded health care capacity and testing.

Marikina Rep. Stella Luz Quimbo believes that extending the ECQ would be useless unless the health department revives its approach to COVID-19 control.

NLEX motorists down

Meanwhile, the Philippine National Police (PNP) hopes the public would continue to follow strict stay-at-home protocol as it noted a 28 percent decrease in the number of vehicles traversing the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) during the Holy Week.

PNP spokesman Brig. Gen. Ildebrandi Usana said police manning checkpoints counted about 20,000 private and public utility vehicles during Holy Week, compared to the 70,000 vehicles daily in the first three days of ECQ last week.

Vehicular volume along the NLEX before the pandemic reached a daily average of 400,000 during the Holy Week.

Usana said they hope citizens would continue complying with the minimum health standards for the rest of the implementation of the ECQ, adding that they should only head outdoors for essential purposes.

The PNP had set up over 1,000 checkpoints with more than 9,000 police personnel since the ECQ began last week. – Delon Porcalla