Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez suggested to the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) to consider the number of severe and critical cases in deciding a quarantine classification.
Lopez made the suggestion as a move to aid economic recovery during the Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum on Wednesday (Aug. 11), amid the country’s rising COVID-19 vaccination coverage.
“We’re just hoping also that we take a different view now as we see the vaccination rate. What we suggested even in the IATF is to look at the data, hindi ‘yung nahawa, but yung severe and critical,” Lopez said.
“Kasi at the end of the day, the concern for us is ‘yung namamatay, ‘yung critical, kung mild and asymptomatic parang nagkasipon ka lang niyan,” he added.
Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Chua earlier said that each week of ECQ in the NCR “will cost the economy P105 billion,” with around 440,000 losing their jobs.
Lopez also suggested implementing granular lockdowns in select areas with high number of cases and to minimize non-essential activities to aid the ailing economy, adding that many businesses will not be able to survive a prolonged ECQ implementation.
“Kung hindi mag-surge, we can expect again a move from ECQ [enhanced community quarantine] to [modified] ECQ, at para lang ma-manage better ang economy. Kasi kung hindi, every time mag-ECQ ka, ‘yan na naman, ‘yung budget for ayuda,” he said.
“Malaki ang demands din from this government, and kawawa ‘yung mga kababayan natin na walang trabaho, so kailangan mong ibalik yung trabaho basta safe lang,” he added.
Lopez said it would still be better if the proposed parameters be discussed with health experts.
Among the factors currently considered for quarantine classifications in the country are two-week growth rate (2WGR), average daily attack rate (ADAR), and health care utilization rate (HCUR).
Read more: Philippines back to COVID-19 high risk classification
The National Capital Region (NCR) was placed under a 14-day ECQ until Aug. 20. The Philippines was considered high-risk for COVID-19 anew earlier this week due to increasing numbers under the said parameters. – Report from Cleizl Pardilla/AG- jlo
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