No stricter lockdown in Metro Manila – DOH

There will be no further restriction in the quarantine status of Metro Manila despite rising COVID cases, according to the Department of Health (DOH).

At a virtual briefing yesterday, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the imposition of a stricter lockdown in the National Capital Region was not discussed during a meeting with NCR mayors.

Health experts met on Wednesday with representatives of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and local government units (LGUs) in the NCR to discuss the appropriate response to increasing transmission of COVID in the region for the past weeks.

Vergeire said the DOH, MMDA and LGUs agreed to closely monitor areas with rising cases and implement localized response.

In Pasay City, for instance, she said 77 barangays have been placed under localized or granular lockdown and police visibility has been increased to ensure compliance with quarantine rules.

According to Vergeire, strict compliance with minimum public health standards is still the best measure to prevent transmission of the virus.

LGUs were also advised to intensify contact tracing as well as quarantine and isolation of those who had come into contact with an infected individual.

With additional 2,452 cases yesterday, the DOH also reported that confirmed COVID cases nationwide rose to 584,667.

DOH said 91.5 percent or 535,037 of total cases have already recuperated, including 266 newly recorded recoveries.

Active cases stand at 37,226, which account for 6.4 percent of the total. Most or 95 percent of the active cases are mild and asymptomatic.

Fifteen more deaths brought to 12,404 the number of COVID-related fatalities. The figure represents 2.12 percent of total cases.

Also at Wednesday’s meeting, Secretary to the Cabinet Karlo Alexei Nograles said President Duterte has expressed his desire for “a more rigorous, more widespread rollout of the vaccination program” before a full reopening of the economy is allowed.

“Unless he sees about – he gave a figure like two million vaccines being rolled out as a start – then that’s when he will start reconsidering about opening more GCQ areas, to consider again putting it under MGCQ,” Nograles said, referring to the most lenient modified general community quarantine.

The President gave the “indicative number” of two million when he was also discussing limited face-to-face classes for students, an issue broached by Education Secretary Leonor Briones.

“It’s something that he is – well to us, it means it’s like a baseline for him. Unless he sees that going on then, that’s the only time that he will start considering it,” Nograles said.

“On whether or not he wants a bigger number of rollout, well, it’s really up to him to decide. But it was well explained that (the conduct of face-to-face classes) is limited, it will be piloted, there are numbers of schools and LGUs that have already agreed,” Nograles added.

The Department of Education has noted that there are a number of public schools, principals, parents, teachers and even students who have agreed to be part of the pilot test for face-to-face classes, he said, in areas where there are few COVID-19 cases.

“So these are just pilot, limited face-to-face classes,” Nograles said. “But again, the President still wants to see a more massive vaccination rollout for him to gain enough of that kumpyansa (confidence).”

Since the rollout last Monday of the Sinovac vaccines, officials said close to 9,000 individuals have so far received the first of the two-shot COVID-19 vaccine at 32 inoculation sites across Metro Manila.

China delivered 600,000 vaccine doses last Sunday, while 487,200 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines were expected to arrive last night at the Villamor Air Base in Pasay City.

On travel and leisure rules for children 15 years old and below, Nograles said the President has left it to the Department of Tourism (DOT) to adopt a decision-making process.

“And the Department of Tourism now is very busy in creating tourism and travel bubbles in different parts of the country. But the DOT can only do so much, because lahat naman iyan ay nakalatag and they are ready to partner with the LGUs,” he said.

“So, necessarily, we will need the LGUs to say yes to the DOT. But as soon as the LGU agrees to create a travel and tourism bubble in the locality, the DOT is ready to work with them and create that travel bubble,” Nograles said.

“So it’s really a partnership. The DOT cannot do this unless the LGU accepts the help of the DOT and collaborates with the DOT on that regard,” he said.