‘One step backward, two steps forward’
SEN. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go said the government took one step backward and two steps forward in its decision to place Metro Manila and four nearby provinces under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) to curb the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
The senator stressed that the government’s move to again place the National Capital Region and the provinces of Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal under MECQ would help concerned agencies strengthen the testing, tracing and treating capabilities of the health sector.
“Ang thrust porito (The thrust here
is) one step backward, two steps forward. Bahagiitong (This is part of the) recalibration strategies [on Covid-19 response],” Go said in a radio interview on Saturday.
The chairman of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography voiced concern at the rising number of infections, which he attributed to increased testing. He urged the public to strictly follow health protocols as government was set to distribute free face masks.
“Aside from giving [medical] frontliners a ‘timeout,’ it will intensify our testing capacity, tracing capability and isolation capacity,” the senator said.
The Philippines on Thursday overtook Indonesia and emerged as Southeast Asia’s coronavirus hotspot. As of August 7, the Philippines had 122,754 confirmed Covid-19 cases.
But Go noted that the country also took the top spot in terms of testing capacity in the region, having conducted 1,643,539 tests with an average of 28,938 tests per day within the last seven days. By comparison, Indonesia conducted
an estimated 908,000 tests with an average of 4,291 tests per day during the same period.
“Hindi naman ito parang contest na padamihan ng medalya tulad ng SEA (Southeast Asian) Games na nag-uunahan tayong makakuhang gold medal. Siyempre, nalulungkot po ako na tumataasang cases sangayon (This is not a contest for winning the most medals like the SEA Games where we compete to get a gold medal. Of course, I was saddened that the number of cases [continues to] increase nowadays),” he said.
The senator urged the public to continue observing health and safety guidelines such as wearing of face masks and physical distancing in order to prevent more infections.
According to health experts, wearing the right kind of mask decreases the risk of catching the virus by 85 percent. With physical distancing and the use of face shields, this risk may be reduced by more than 90 percent.
Go lauded the government for initiating the provision of free face masks to the poor, following his appeal for a stronger maskwearing policy.
He noted that this initiative could create jobs for local makers of face masks and the distribution of face masks to those who cannot afford to buy their own, particularly the beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino
Program, would save lives.
Go clarified that people with mild cases or are asymptomatic could be quarantined in their homes, provided they comply with the National Task Force (NTF) on Covid-19’s three new isolation requirements.
“They must have a separate bedroom for the patient’s exclusive use throughout the isolation period, a separate bathroom and they must not be living with people at risk of severe illness from the virus,” he said.
According to the NTF, if Covid-19 patients could not fulfill any of the requirements, they would be transferred to a government quarantine facility with the assistance of local health workers.
Meanwhile, Go backed the passage of the proposed Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises Act and the Financial Institution Strategic Transfer Act, which will complement the proposed Bayanihan to Recover as One Bill or Bayanihan 2 Bill.
The Bayanihan 2 Bill is “the enhanced successor of the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act and will include measures to aid economic and social recovery of the country,” he said.
Likewise, Go stressed that the poorest and most vulnerable sectors should be the first to receive the Covid- 19 vaccine once it is available.