As NCR Covid-19 cases rise, easing of quarantine dims

MALACAÑANG on Monday said the downgrading of the community quarantine in Metro Manila this week is now unlikely amid the rising cases of novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in the region

“I will just like to make it clear that while the President still has no decision on the matter...but at this point the data does not indicate that the [community quarantine] in Metro Manila could be eased. This is to manage expectations,” Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said in an online press briefing.

He said the doubling rate of Covid-19 cases and diminishing critical care facilities has prompted the Inter-agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) and the National Task Force Against Covid-19 to express concern over possible easing of quarantine restriction in the region.

As of Sunday, the Department of Health (DOH) reported NCR to have

thehighestnumberofnewlyannounced fresh Covid-19 cases with 2,822.

Heath Undersecretary Leopoldo Vega agreed with Roque, saying that the critical care utilization rate in NCR is already in the “danger zone.”

Three major private hospitals in Metro Manila on Monday said they could no longer accept Covid-19 patients as their dedicated intensive care unit beds have reached full capacity. See story on page A2.

The St. Luke’s Medical Center in Quezon City (SLMC-QC), St. Luke’s Global City (SLMC-GC) in Taguig and Makati Medical Center said they have run out of beds for Covid patients.

However, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said they reminded the hospitals that they are mandated to allocate 30 percent of their bed capacity for Covid-19 cases.

“When they declare full capacity, it onlymeansthecapacitytoallocateforcovid but not the entire hospital, so there’s still room in every hospital to expand more. That is what we are doing in our government hospitals,” Vergeire said.

For his part, Undersecretary Vega said, “We are trying to prepare public hospitals, especially the governmentretained hospitals so they have to adjust in the number of their ICU [intensive care units] beds because we have to be ready for this because we’re in a crisis and we are also asking the private institutions—to implement the 30 percent allocation for beds, especially if there is a rise in the number of Covid cases,” Vega said. He said they are now also in the process of integrating hospital systems to ensure collaborative response to the rising medical needs of Covid-19 patients. Opening the economy

AT the online press briefing on Monday, chief implementer of the government’s national policy on Covid-19 Carlito Galvez said the government is now considering implementing a “hybrid” general community quarantine (GCQ) in NCR as recommended by its mayors.

Under the scheme, he said, there will still be quarantine restrictions in the region, but they will open up more economic activity. Galvez noted the private sector should “take equal responsibility for containing the spread ” of Covid-19 if the new system is implemented. He also pointed out that localized lockdowns will play a crucial role towards realizing this policy.

Citing the Department of Finance (DOF), he said many companies are already at "tipping point" because of the community quarantine and now needs to be allowed to operate even during the Covid-19 crisis.

Galvez said the proposal is subject to the approval of the IATF. Roque said President Duterte is expected to announce the new community quarantine classifications for NCR and other areas of the country on Wednesday.