"We just have to persevere, remain patient, and conscientiously do our part in preventing the spread of COVID-19."
A year ago, the thought of community quarantine was badly dreaded by the entire country, more so the possibility of localized lockdowns. Now, almost three weeks away from its first “anniversary,” the country’s community quarantine has proved to be an effective means of curbing COVID-19 transmission. Even today, cities and municipalities with alarming infection rates have been resorting to strict community quarantine measures to stop the increase of COVID-19 cases.
Safety protocols have also been consistently in place since the start of the quarantine. Our government officials constantly remind us to observe social distancing as well as the mandatory wearing of face masks and face shields in public places. From the period of lockdown until the easing of restrictions and reopening of the economy, we have been told and ordered to follow these minimum health protocols to the letter, to prevent exposure to COVID-19. Inevitably, COVID-19 is there, but with these measures, we have maintained relatively lower numbers of deaths and higher recoveries compared to other countries.
Critics are tirelessly pointing out flaws in the COVID-19 response of the government. We would agree that not a single country was prepared to deal with this pandemic. I would like to give credit to the national government and local government units for the efforts in preventing COVID-19 transmission. Southeast Asian countries have been better able in controlling the spread of COVID-19. The United States recently reached the half a million mark in the number of mortalities from COVID-19. Knowing the capability of the US in terms of technology and medicine, it is quite puzzling how the number of deaths reached that high. Same goes with other developed and high-income countries such as Italy, France, and the United Kingdom who are also among those countries with high numbers of mortalities. Meanwhile, reports show that Asia has lower incidence of deaths and positive cases than Europe and North America. The Philippines has recorded roughly 12,000 deaths to date and 522,000 recoveries, which translate to 2.14 percent and 92.6 percent, respectively.
This does not, in any manner, mean it is a cause for celebration. Instead, this is a cause for serious concern for governments worldwide. Deaths mean losses and are not mere statistics. Hence, we must all strive to put the number down to a nil. This then begs the question, what are we doing right? What is it in Southeast Asia in that these countries do not suffer as much as those in the west? Perhaps, the World Health Organization can look into the measures implemented by Southeast Asian countries and study its application to those with high numbers of cases and fatalities from COVID-19. Vaccines are there to prevent fatalities and COVID-19 cases, but while it is not available to all for distribution, countries should contribute for better policies for global implementation to effectively curb COVID-19 transmission.
Ultimately, the effectiveness of the safety protocols and health programs implemented by the government also relies on the cooperation of the people. Hence, I would also like to thank and give the people due credit for complying with these measures, no matter how inconvenient it is. Eventually, we will all be out of this dark tunnel. We just have to persevere, remain patient, and conscientiously do our part in preventing the spread of COVID-19.
