WHO warns vs easing restrictions

It has not flattened yet and we still need to be conscious of the fact that there is relatively high level of transmission in the community and that the situation is also complicated by the presence of new variants

The Philippines might see a possible spike of coronavirus infections should the government ease quarantine restrictions next month amid the threat of new virus variants and the delay of its Covid-19 vaccination program, the World Health Organization (WHO) said Thursday.

In a televised briefing, WHO country representative Rabindra Abeyasinghe cautioned against proposals to place the country under a more lenient quarantine classification, as well as plans to reopen cinemas and other establishments in March, noting that Covid-19 cases in the Philippines have “not flattened” yet.

“If we now go for large-scale relaxation of measures given the current situation and the circulation of variants, and the fact it’ll still be many months before a large proportion of Filipinos are vaccinated, we may witness a situation where there’ll be an upsurge of cases,” Abeyasinghe said.

The country should maintain the restrictions in place, adding that every measure needs to be carefully calibrated and decided upon before being implemented.

“It has not flattened yet and we still need to be conscious of the fact that there is relatively high level of transmission in the community and that the situation is also complicated by the presence of new variants,” he added.

Abeyasinghe also said he “firmly believes” that the country should maintain the restrictions in place, adding that “every measure needs to be carefully calibrated and decided upon before being implemented.”

The WHO official, however, acknowledged the “significant economic burdens” caused by restrictions.

The country’s economic managers have been pushing for the imposition of modified general community quarantine (MGCQ), the most relaxed lockdown status in the government’s four-tier classification, in the entire country in a bid to revive the economy.

They have been particularly hoping to place Metro Manila, which accounts for the country’s GDP, under MGCQ to reopen more businesses and establishments.

At the Palace, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said the decision on easing the quarantine status would depend on “analytics and data.”

President Rodrigo Duterte and the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases have the final say whether Metro Manila would be placed under MGCQ starting March.

Roque said the two-week growth rate and the daily attack would still be considered in determining the community quarantine classifications next month.

“For me, it’s still important to look at the analytics and data,” Roque said in another news conference.

Majority of Metro Manila mayors agreed to recommend to the national government that the capital region be placed under MGCQ starting March.

Should Metro Manila be placed under such lockdown status, all residents would be allowed to leave their homes, provided they observe minimum health standards such as mask wearing and physical distancing

The OCTA Research group, an independent firm monitoring the country’s pandemic figures, had warned in its latest report that Covid-19 cases in Metro Manila could hit 2,400 per day by March 26 if the capital region is placed under MGCQ.

The country has been vigilant against new virus variants such as B117, which is said to be more contagious than others. So far, the Philippines has detected 44 cases of the B117 variant.

Authorities have earlier announced that the state’s vaccination program would start this month, but vaccines have yet to arrive in the Philippines.