By Pearl Gumapos
National Task Force on COVID-19 special adviser Dr. Ted Herbosa suggested on Wednesday (Aug. 18) reducing the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) level to modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ).
“Kung opinion ko lang ang masusunod, kung ako ang namumuno sa Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF), bababa ako sa MECQ at pai-igtingin ko iyong mga mayor at iyong mga local government units, iyong localized lockdown, testing, at saka tracing,” he said in the Laging Handa public briefing.
Herbosa said the IATF and other technical groups have only two options — either continue implementing ECQ for another two weeks or reduce the classification to MECQ.
He said it was a tough decision as there needs to be a balance between health and the economy.
“Ang daming nawawalan ng trabaho, nagugutom, [at] hindi kumikita. So, talagang parang nagba-balancing act iyong ating IATF. Sana iyong mga datos, tama at magawa iyong tama para sa ikabubuti ng mas nakakarami.”
Herbosa also explained that the last ECQ produced favorable results after 10 days and that it would likely be the same situation for the current ECQ.
“Noong nag-ECQ tayo last year at nitong Abril, inabot ng 10 araw bago bumaba ‘yung kaso.
Tayo ngayon ay nagtala ng 10,000, from many days na over 14,000. Tapos kahapon, bumaba na. Tapat naman siya sa 11th na araw natin,” he said.
“Mukhang may tulong iyong ating ginawang ECQ. Sana tuloy-tuloy ito at hindi dumami, kasi naalala ninyo mayroon tayong mga super-spreader event just before nag-implement tayo ng ECQ. So, baka lumabas din iyong mga positive doon at makadagdag. Sana tuloy-tuloy na iyong pagbaba at madalian ang desisyon ng IATF na luwagan ang ating quarantine,” he added. – jlo
