Palace: PH slowly flattening curve
Malacañang said yesterday the country is slowly flattening the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) curve and maintained that the Philippines is still on the first wave of the pandemic.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque made the statement after President Duterte rejected Health Secretary Francisco Duque III's earlier claim that the Philippines was already riding the pandemic's second wave.
Roque said President Duterte is keeping Duque as health chief to allow him to perform his job as the country battles the public health emergency for now. He assured the public that the country’s health chief will eventually answer allegations hurled against him in the
proper forum.
In an interview with GMA's Unang Hirit, Roque reiterated that the country is still dealing with the first wave of COVID-19 and that health experts may have different opinions on the same data.
"Ang tingin nga namin dito, hindi po pwedeng maging first wave ang tatatlo lamang kaso lalong-lalo naman po na hindi ito communityacquired (We think the first three confirmed cases cannot be the first wave because it was not communityacquired)," he said Friday.
"Tumaas nga po ang kaso pagdating ng Marso at hanggang ngayon po pababa pa lang ang mga kaso, pero hindi pa natin tuluyan nafa-flatten yung tinatawag na curve (The number spiked on March and it's slowly declining. However, we still have not flattened the curve)," he added.
Roque renewed the government’s appeal to the public to continue cooperating with the government by following quarantine protocols especially now that the Philippines is slowly flattening the curve.
"Papunta na po tayo doon... Sana po 'wag umabot sa second wave dahil pa-flatten pa lang po ang first wave (We're slowly flattening the curve... We hope there won't be a second wave because we're just starting to flatten the first wave now)," he said.
"Kaya nga po importante, nakikiusap pa rin ako bagama't binuksan na po natin nang bahagya ang ating ekonomiya, kinakailangan homeliners pa rin tayo dahil 'yan lang po talaga ang pamamaraan para maflatten (That's why we're appealing to the public that even though we partially opened the economy, we still need to stay at home because that's the only way to flatten the curve)," he added.
Early this week, Secretary Duque said that the country was already experiencing the second wave of COVID-19, only to retract his statement on Thursday after other highranking government officials said otherwise.
In his interview with Unang Hirit, Roque said someone should be held responsible for the confusion the blunder caused the public.
Averting 2nd wave
The government is gearing up preparations to avert a second wave of coronavirus infections that may come from the influx of Filipino workers arriving from virus-hit countries, according to chief implementer of the government's coronavirus response Carlito Galvez Jr.
Galvez has estimated that as many as half a million overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) are expected to return to the country this year amid the adverse impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
The returning OFWs will undergo coronavirus testing immediately upon arrival in the country and will be housed in quarantine facilities until their test results are released, he said.
"We are receiving more than 30,000 and they came from affected areas katulad ng US, Italy, Spain, and other parts of the Middle East. 'Yun ang tinitingnan natin. Doon magkakaroon tayo ng tinatawag na possible second wave kaya nagpe-prepare tayo. Lahat ng agencies are prepared especially the special task group ng repatriation so that we can test them immediately upon entry sa ating airports (We are receiving more than 30,000 and they came from affected areas like the United States, Spain, Italy, and other parts of the Middle East. That's what we're looking into. We might have a possible second wave so we are preparing. All agencies, especially the special task group on repatriation, are prepared so we can test them immediately upon entry in our airports)," he said.
Of the 30,000 OFWs tested for the coronavirus so far, Galvez said more or less 600 were found positive.
Galvez had earlier expressed concern that an additional 42,000 OFWs arriving this May and June may
overwhelm the quarantine facilities in Metro Manila. The latest problem has already been raised to the President, he said.
In Friday's public briefing, Galvez admitted that around 150,000 to 500,000 OFWs may come home as the coronavirus continued to affect many nations.
"Itong ang problema ng OFWs ay nakita namin na malaking problema dahil we are estimating na more or less ang pinakamababa ay 150,000 to 500,000 ang babalik ngayon taon. Nakikipagusap na kami sa DOLE, DSWD, at saka LGU on how we can uplift the dislocations ng ating OFWs (We see a huge problem concerning OFWs because we are estimating more or less 150,000 to 500,000 will come home this year),” he said. We are coordinating with the Department of Labor and Employment, Department of Social Welfare and Development, and local government units on how we can uplift the dislocations of our OFWs),” he said.
Galvez asked the OFWs to bear with the government’s health procedures, saying efforts are being taken to facility their safe return to their families.
He said Dense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, chairman of the national task force on COVID-19, has already issued an order to declog the Metro Manila quarantine centers "within two weeks" to make room for the next batch of repatriates.
Once the quarantine facilities are cleared, he said, the government will gradually increase the entry quota of returning OFWs to more or less 1,000 a day.
Galvez also assured that the government is also considering an assistance package to the displaced OFWs “so they can prepare for a new life.” Labor authorities have so far released ₱500 million to support the Filipino repatriates’ food, accommodation, and travel, he added.