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CabSec Nograles defends gov't from 'back to square one' remarks


Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles on Thursday defended the government from claims that the country is back to square one in its COVID-19 response due to the recent surge in the number of infections.

Interviewed on ANC, Nograles insisted that the "protocols are working."

"But we have to remember that even in other countries, COVID-19 comes in waves," Nograles said.

Critics have pounced on the government for its alleged failure to properly address the pandemic even after a year of restrictions.

The number of active COVID-19 cases has breached 61,000 while the number of new infections recorded this month is 2.5 times higher than in January based on Department of Health records.

Nograles pointed out that addressing the pandemic is "a delicate balance between health and economy."

"There are ups and downs in this battle. Why? Because it is a delicate balance between health and economy. To prevent transmission, you prevent movement of people. But to open the economy, you need movement of people," he said.

"At the end of the day, it is on us to follow the protocols."

The government has time and again called on the public to stay at home as much as possible and practice minimum health protocols like the wearing of face mask and face shield, frequent handwashing, and observing physical distancing.

"All we can do [in the government] is enforce protocols, but we cannot see everything 24/7, 100% of the time, what an individual does. It is impossible,” Nograles said.

"The general population outnumbers law enforcers, so it really belongs to us to stem the tide and trim the infection by following health protocols,” he added.

Former Health Secretary Esperanza Cabral earlier said the country is now "10 steps back" from square one compared with March 2020 with over 61,000 active COVID-19 cases and with the government and private sector not in the position to spend for a second round of subsidies again just like when the full scale lockdown was imposed a year ago. —KBK, GMA News

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