Lorenzana hopes COVID-19 curve flattened in Metro Manila by month's end

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana on Saturday expressed hope that the government would flatten the COVID-19 curve in Metro Manila before September ends so the region could shift into a relaxed Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ).

"Ang ating layunin sa buwan na 'to ay ma-flatten tayo o 'di kaya mas maganda kung maibaba natin 'yung curve para siguro pagkatapos ng buwan ng Setyembre ay makapunta na tayo ng MGCQ at medyo maluwag-luwag 'yung buhay ng mga tao," Lorenzana said at a meeting of the Coordinated Operations to Defeat Epidemic (CODE) team in Caloocan City.

Lorenzana assured the CODE teams that resources from the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases and the private sector are available for combating the virus.

The CODE teams are composed of national and local health officials and other partners on the ground.

Under the CODE strategy, those who will be found exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms will be tested using the Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) or swab test. Those with exposure to those with symptoms, on the other hand, will be isolated.

The Defense secretary reminded other officials not to "fear" COVID-19, especially with its low fatality rate.

"'Wag tayong matakot sa COVID na 'to dahil 'yung iba kasing tao parang pagka nagkaroon ng COVID eh pinandidirihan ng kaniyang kapitbahay. Hindi, kasi ang casualty rito ay one percent lang, one percent, mas marami pang namamatay sa influenza at saka pnuemonia kaysa sa COVID," he said.

According to the Department of Health, the death toll in the Philippines has climbed to 3,790 with 53 new fatalities as of Saturday. The total number of cases is already at 234,570. Worldwide, the death toll is at more than 869,000.

"Ang key dito is malaman natin kung sino ang may COVID early, kasi lahat, siguro mga 99 percent ang nagsu-survive dyan eh gumagaling, gumagaling 'yung nagkaroon ng COVID," Lorenzana added. -MDM, GMA News