Duterte: Name a country prepared for COVID-19, I’ll resign

MANILA, Philippines — President Duterte has vowed to step down if anyone can name a country that was prepared for COVID-19 as his administration faces intense criticism over its handling of the pandemic.

Duterte said COVID-19 infections are rising globally and the effects of the pandemic are being felt even in the United States and Europe.

“Who was prepared for this? America? Name a country that is prepared, I will resign.

Name a country prepared for the pandemic, the spread of the virus and I will resign as President,” the President said during a recorded public address aired yesterday.

“You know when the pandemic started, we had nothing. We had no face mask, personal protective equipment, testing kits, nothing. And the same people criticizing today are the same people telling us last year that we were too slow and we’re not prepared,” he added.

Duterte said COVID-19 fatalities in the Philippines, numbering more than 33,000, is still lower compared to other countries.

He also said the government has to recalibrate its pandemic response, noting more than 22,000 COVID-19 cases were recorded last Aug. 30, the highest single-day tally.

“Although we have seen the positive effect of the recent ECQ (enhanced community quarantine) in NCR (National Capital Region), which lowered the reproduction rate...we are also evaluating whether granular or localized lockdowns would work best in our current situation. The national task force has to study it,” Duterte said.

COVID not airborne

The World Health Organization (WHO) yesterday maintained that there is no evidence yet that COVID-19 can spread through “airborne transmission.”

“The evidence we have is that the Delta variant, although more transmissible, is still largely transmitted in aerosols. It’s not an airborne transmission,” WHO representative to the Philippines Rabindra Abeyasinghe explained.

Asked about double masking, he pointed out that what matters most is wearing the mask properly, adding that even two or four face masks “will not protect you” if they are not worn properly and consistently.

“It’s not about wearing multiple masks because the evidence we have is Delta variant remains an aerosol transmission, not airborne,” he added.

The official also said they are looking at the Philippines’ experience on the wearing of face shields, considering that face shields can protect people who are not wearing their masks properly. – Sheila Crisostomo