Duque: COVID-19 case spike possible with curfew lifting

MANILA, Philippines — With the lifting of the unified curfew hours in Metro Manila, a spike in COVID cases is still possible if people won’t comply with minimum public health standards, Health Secretary Francisco Duque has warned.

“I remind everyone to follow health protocols. If not, we may experience a surge like what happened in the UK and other countries,” Duque said in a radio interview yesterday, as he noted that strict compliance with health protocols contributed to the downtrend of COVID cases in the Philippines.

The health chief pointed out that wearing face masks and face shields, maintaining physical distancing, frequent hand washing and observing cough etiquette are practical and inexpensive protection against COVID.

“With these non-pharmaceutical measures, we can win the war against COVID-19. This is not sophisticated, just being mindful and disciplined,” Duque said.

Duque added that the IATF is set to discuss the possibility of downgrading the alert level in Metro Manila. “Easing the alert level does not mean easing protocols, it’s not like that. We cannot let our guard down,” he said.

Reverse

The COVID-19 situation in Metro Manila has now returned to pre-surge level, effectively reversing the case trend that began midyear due to the Delta variant, OCTA Research said on Thursday.

“Essentially we have reversed the Delta surge already in NCR. We’re back to where we were before the surge in July,” OCTA fellow Guido David said, citing Department of Health data stating that Metro Manila recorded 630 average daily new cases from Oct. 27 to Nov. 2, down 49 percent from the previous week.

The region’s average daily attack rate (ADAR) is at “moderate” 4.45 daily new infections per 100,000 people, while other indicators – including health care capacity and testing – are at safe levels.

In contrast, the average daily new cases in Metro Manila from July 9 to 15 was at 627, with an ADAR of 4.43, while daily new cases reached over 9,000 at the peak of the surge in September.

According to David, the improving situation may be attributed to the high vaccination rate, continued compliance to health protocols and the implementation of lockdowns and the alert levels system.

“We’re in for a good December and good holidays. But even as we go to Alert Level 2, we should be mindful of the public health standards like wearing face masks and avoiding large gatherings at this time,” he said.

Aside from Metro Manila, other areas that experienced Delta-driven surges but are at low or very low risk classification are Rizal, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas and Pampanga provinces, as well as the cities of Cebu and Davao.

Economic recovery

The lifting of curfew and easing of transportation restrictions will benefit the country’s economy, which has received quite a beating from the COVID-19 pandemic, Sen. Panfilo Lacson said yesterday.

“As far as I’m concerned, it’s about time we opened the economy by lifting curfews and increasing the capacities for passenger buses. I support the moves leading to the reopening of the economy, to revive our business activities. But our authorities must sustain the containment strategies in place,” Lacson said.

On the other hand, Lacson said it is equally important that the government continue its testing, tracing, treatment and vaccination efforts. “It is important to ensure an efficient rollout of the vaccines so we don’t waste them,” Lacson said.

Citing data from the National Economic and Development Authority, Lacson said the lockdowns in Metro Manila caused P20.5 billion in losses per day – with hard hit micro, small and medium enterprises accounting for 73 percent of layoffs as of February 2021. — Janvic Mateo, Cecille Suerte Felipe