By Pearl Gumapos
Department of Health (DOH) Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire on Saturday (Aug. 21) said the DOH recommended modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) accompanied by granular lockdowns.
“What we recommended ay MECQ [and that] there should be granular lockdowns. Kailangan talaga tumaas ang bakunahan. Pangalawa, i-shorten duration from the time we detect and isolate, at saka ‘yung pangatlo, dapat compliance sa minimum public health standards,” Vergeire said in the Laging Handa public briefing.
“Kailangan ko lang i-clarify. Unang-una, hindi lang po ang community quarantine lockdowns ang sagot sa pandemya,” she said.
“Nag-usap po mga eksperto kasama ang iba’t-ibang ahensya on data analytics. Nakita natin na itong ginawang ECQ compared to previous ECQ para hindi magkaroon ng malaking dent sa tumataas na kaso dahil ang dami na pong modification,” she added.
Vergeire said that the effect of any intervention will only be seen after two to three weeks.
“Katulad ng lagi naming pinapaliwanag, ang epekto ng anumang intervention can only be experienced 2-3 weeks after because of the incubation period of the virus. Pag tinignan natin ang epekto ng 2-week ECQ kung bababa o tataas, after 2-3 weeks po natin matatala,” she said.
Based on projections of the DOH, if the MECQ lasts until the end of September, there will be 66,000 cases by Aug. 31 and 259,000 cases by September 31 in NCR.
“Pero kailangan maintindihan ng mga kababayan na projections lamang ito. Pinapasok natin dito ang assumptions. Ang assumptions dito kung ma-i-improve ang vaccination, ating ma-improve ang case detection to isolation, at compliance with minimum public health standards, mapapababa pa po natin ito,” Vergeire said. -rir
