Salceda pushes for 2-week ECQ extension as COVID-19 risks remain

President Rodrigo Duterte should extend the enhanced community quarantine—a measure which seeks to stop COVID-19 transmissions by banning mass transport and prohibiting mass gatherings but also resulting in work stoppages in many industries —by another two weeks from April 30, House Ways and Means panel Chairman and Albay Representative Joey Salceda said Monday.

Salceda, an economist, said that the Philippines risks more infections if it lifts the quarantine on April 30 since it has only thus far conducted 46,000 COVID-19 tests, equivalent to just .1 percent of its 104 million-strong population.

“We have undertaken around 46,000 tests, with possibly another 80,000 coming by April 30. We’re simply not there yet, no matter how much we wish this pandemic to end,” Salceda said in a statement.

“Lifting the enhanced community quarantine amounts to carelessly exposing the entire population to infection, no matter what residual social distancing,” Salceda added.

On Tuesday, Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said the country is now capable of conducting 8,000 to 10,000 COVID-19 tests in a day by this week.

Still, Salceda argued that there is an average of 1.9 billion social contacts in the country, and the lockdown reduced that number by 80 percent or by 1.5 billion.

“When we allow a big swathe of social contacts exposed to an epidemic with doubling time of 12 days, we would simply overwhelm their nascent capacities, opening the margin for mistakes even if clerical with manifold adverse consequences,” Salceda said.

“Worse than this, our healthcare system is at risk of unraveling under the weight of the volumes putting at risk other morbidities. We thus need to reduce the infection before exposing the population, so that we can catch, trace and isolate within capacity,” Salceda added.

Salceda then said that extending the quarantine period does not mean ignoring the plight of those who are out of work, but a matter of choosing life over any other risk.

“The idea that we are choosing between economic damage and health damage is misguided. We are trying to minimize both. At this rate, opening up the county and hoping that we will not have to lock it down again is wishful thinking,” Salceda said.

“Let’s finish the job now, when we are already building on some successes, rather than erase those gains and then face a second wave later,” Salceda added.

Salceda, however, conceded that the lockdown should eventually be lifted, provided that these measures are already in place:

• comprehensive measures to protect at-risk and vulnerable population (population above 65 years old and co-morbidities)
• strict compliance with social distancing as well as improved access to handwashing facilities for the 18 percent of the population with poor access to a safe water supply.
• full protection for frontliners, including complete personal protective equipment (PPE) sets and readiness for peak capacity which translates to 15,000 COVID-19 beds, 4,500 mechanical ventilators and 7 days worth of PPE sets in reserve and
• testing .22 percent of the 104 million population.

But for party-list lawmakers Alfredo Garbin of Ako Bicol and Mikee Romero of 1-Pacman, the enhanced community quarantine should be modified to allow the agriculture and manufacturing industry to resume operations after April 30 to balance food and financial security.

“I propose a modified community quarantine after April 30. Companies engaged in manufacturing should be allowed, public transport can be restored but with restrictions as to its passengers capacity, while travel restrictions should be still in place,” Garbin said.

“The agricultural sector or establishments primarily engaged in crop and rice production, animal production, harvesting of fish and other agricultural support activities must restart after April 30 or we will have a problem on our food production,” Romero added. — DVM, GMA News