Health experts are now pushing for an “early and hard” lockdown in Metro Manila and other areas with increasing infections to contain the local spread of the Delta Covid-19 variant.
OCTA Research team member Ranjit Rye said the prompt implementation of the lockdown would minimize possible infections and the economic disruption caused by the Delta variant.
“If we will do this over the next two weeks, especially this week or next week, we will not only be able to reduce the number of infection and fatalities, but we will also be able to save the economy since the lockdown will only be for a short period,” Rye said in an interview with PTV last Monday.
He noted the declaration of the lockdown in the coming weeks may ensure Covid-19 cases remain in check and allow most businesses to continue their operation until the last quarter of the year.
Health care facility risk
Currently, the OCTA Research said the number of new cases of Covid-19 in the National Capital Region (NCR) has risen to 1,000 per day, which it suspects is caused by Delta variant.
In case the government is unable to enforce such lockdown in the next two weeks, the number of new Covid-19 infections could rise to as high as 5,000, according to Rye.
He explained if the cases breach the 2,000 cases per day, local health care facilities may be overwhelmed the said infected patients.
“We don’t want what happened in Indonesia, India and Thailand, wherein the number of [Covid-19] cases, exploded due to too little, too late response, to happen here,” Rye said.
During his last State of the Nation Address (SONA), President Rodrigo R. Duterte already said the government is now considering implementing a lockdown in the country due to the increasing cases of the Covid-causing Delta variant.
Close monitoring
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) is now closely monitoring the number of Covid-19 cases to determine if a lockdown is necessary.
“So if previously our monthly quarantine classifications is done monthly, now it will be done every two weeks. We are conducting weekly monitoring and we will not hesitate to impose stricter lockdowns [if necessary],” Roque said, who is also the IATF spokesperson.
As of Monday, he said the IATF has yet to recommend for the implementation of a hard lockdown.
But in this case, Roque assured the government will provide financial aid to people in communities under lockdown.
Image courtesy of Nonoy Lacza