NOT DISCRETION OF ONE

Data should be basis of community quarantines —Robredo

The number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus disease 2019 should be the basis for the quarantine restrictions imposed on the country, Vice President Maria Leonor "Leni" Robredo said over the weekend.

In her radio show on Sunday, Robredo argued that these quarantine restrictions should be based on data and not on the decision of one person or agency.

"Sa akin sana base siya sa datos. Hindi siya nakabase sa desisyon ng mayor, hindi siya nakabase sa desisyon ng kung anong ahensya... Kapag ganito, kapag nakabase siya sa desisyon ng isang tao, nagtatalo-talo," she said.

"Baguhin iyong manner, iyong proseso ng pagdedesisyon. Para sa akin, mag-ano na lang tayo, 'ECQ tayo kapag ganito iyong numero, GCQ kapag ganito iyong numero.' Para hindi siya naiiwan sa discretion ng kung sino. Kasi ito naman iyong aral natin galing sa ibang bansa: na datos talaga iyong basehan. So sana ganoon," she added.

Metro Manila, along with several other areas, were currently under a general community quarantine which would be kept in place until the end of September.

The Philippines recorded a total of 301,256 confirmed COVID-19 cases as of Saturday, September 26, 2020.

To recall, President Rodrigo Duterte reimposed strict quarantine measures over Metro Manila under a modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) in August, following please from the healthcare sector.

Frontliners earlier called on the government to consider reimposing stricter quarantine measures to give health workers a time to recuperate from exhaustion due to the non-stop admission of COVID-19 patients.

According to Robredo, the Philippines should adopt similar measures undertaken overseas, where quarantine restrictions are based on the number of cases registered.

"Iyong IATF iyong mag-decide ano ba iyong threshold level, ‘di ba? Ano ba iyong threshold level, para kapag ganito— Halimbawa, puwedeng hindi buong Metro Manila. Puwedeng iyong mga matataas lang na mga transmission," she said.

Robredo said that with data as the basis, this would lead to fewer disagreements among the stakeholders.

"Gaya nito, DTI gusto nang bumukas. DOH ayaw pa. May lumabas na study galing sa UP experts, na sinasabi nila, totoong bumubuti na tayo, pero huwag tayong mag-MGCQ," she said.

The Department of Health (DOH) on Saturday maintained that the implementation of a community quarantine should be based on science.

This comes as the UP OCTA research team warned that prematurely easing community quarantines, particularly in Metro Manila, could increase the risk of a surge in infections by December. — DVM, GMA News