From today until the end of the month, the National Capital Region, the country’s economy center and where more than 13 million people live, and nearby Laguna will shift from the strictest lockdown to the next lower rung: the Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine.
From Monday, Bataan’s lockdown will also be downgraded to MECQ, according to Presidential spokesman Harry Roque after President Rodrigo Duterte approved the easing of coronavirus curbs while, ironically, the country reported its highest-ever daily number of COVID-19 infections.
The shift down to MECQ does not by any measure mean things are getting to be safe. Not at all.
It is just that there appears to be a need to make concessions to energize the economy which has been affected by the strictest lockdown, the latest of the few since the pandemic stormed into the country early last year.
Under IATF guidelines, all establishments, persons or activities permitted to work or operate at less than full capacity during the ECQ would be allowed to operate at full on-site capacity during MECQ.
All establishments, persons or activities not permitted to work or operate during ECQ would be allowed to operate at 50 percent on-site capacity during the MECQ.
Earlier, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año, a member of the IATF, said they were faced with the option to “either retain ECQ for another week or until the end of the month, or downgrad[e]…to MECQ so that other business[es] could open up.”
Beyond doubt, there is need to provide livelihood for many, who have been jarred by the different levels of community quarantine and, the latest the ECQ, in an attempt to parry off a renewed surge in infections and deaths, driven partly by the contagious Delta variant which has overwhelmed hospitals and healthcare workers.
We heard the argument from Malacanang’s spokesman that the latest shift to MECQ is without prejudice to the strict implementation of granular or local lockdowns although absent was the heads up what would happen after August 31 or when to continue with less strict controls.
Health officials on Friday confirmed 17,231 new coronavirus infections, the highest daily increase since the start of the pandemic, and 317 fatalities.
Active cases hit 123,251.
It is apparent that the soundest solution to all this is to increase efforts in the vaccination rollout program and to ensure that Filipinos practice basic health protocols – forgotten and ignored in many areas even during the ECQ.
We have a long way to go before finally beating COVID-19. Let’s make sure we take prudent and timely steps toward that end.
