The lockdown in Metro Manila and other high-risk provinces has been extended until May 15 in an effort to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
The extension has been widely seen as prudent and necessary, as new cases of COVID-19 and deaths as a result of the disease continue to be reported daily. By April 27, there were 7,579 confirmed COVID-19 cases with 501 deaths reported—and nobody wants to see a flare-up of new infections.
But this was the second extension of the lockdown, officially referred to as the Enhanced Community Quarantine, which aims to limit the spread of the deadly virus by keeping people home.
Imposed on March 16, the ECQ was supposed to end on April 12, but acting on the recommendation of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, the President extended it to April 30. As that deadline drew near, the President again extended the lockdown to May 15.
For the millions of Filipinos, this means that the shelter-in-place restrictions will have been in force for two full months by the time the lockdown expires again. This is long time for people to lose their freedom of movement, but particularly disastrous for the vast majority of those who, because of the nature of their jobs, simply cannot work from home.
From the start, it was clear that if the anti-COVID-19 measures were to succeed, the public needed to understand that this was a necessary sacrifice. Also, the authorities would have to be honest about the situation and present a reasonable plan and timetable to return to normal—albeit a new normal.
What we do not need are recurring threats to impose martial law because a small minority of people are too stubborn to abide by the stay-at-home restrictions. What we do not need is to see police shoot dead a mentally challenged lockdown violator. What we do not need is to hear is government officials dodge responsibility for the infection and deaths of health workers, simply because they don’t want to acknowledge their failure to provide an adequate supply of personal protective equipment against COVID-19 to medical frontliners.
What the locked down public needs is some transparency and honesty in COVID-19 reporting. What the public needs to hear is a detailed plan of testing, isolation and treatment, do that by the end of two months, we will have a better idea of how we can reasonably deal with this public health emergency.
Finally, the President needs to address the vast majority of Filipinos who are staying home because they want what is best for everyone. What the public needs and deserves is not more threats and warnings, but congratulation for coming this far, and words of encouragement that will take us to the new normal.
