Roque: Extending ECQ for a third week in NCR Plus unlikely

Extending the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) for the third consecutive week in NCR Plus amid the COVID-19 pandemic is unlikely, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said on Monday. 

Roque noted that an extended ECQ is far-fetched given that Budget Secretary Wendel Avisado already said that there is no more budget for additional aid to low-income households if such extension will be implemented. 

The government has allotted P22.9 billion budget for an in cash or in kind aid to low-income families residing in areas under ECQ from March 29 to April 11. That aid is worth P1,000 per individual, with a maximum of P4,000 per low-income family.

“Considering the statement of Secretary Avisado and that Congress is in recess so we will have to request for a special session for a supplemental budget, I don’t think we will have an ECQ for a third week,” Roque said in an ANC interview. 

“The model that the DOH (Department of Health) is looking at is two weeks of ECQ and another week of MECQ (modified ECQ),” Roque added. 

The ECQ protocol, which is in effect in NCR Plus (Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal) from March 29 to April 11, prevents non-essential trips and non-essential businesses and services from operating. 

This policy was supposed to end last April 4 before it was extended for another  week due to the surge in COVID-19 cases.

Roque then said that the two-week ECQ and the possible one-week MECQ, as well as intensified contract tracing, isolation and having more mobile hospitals equipped with intensive care units and compliance of minimum public health standards, should significantly reduce the number of COVID-19 cases by May.

“We expect to reduce the COVID-19 cases by 4,000 a day by May 15,” Roque added.

It is still unclear, however, how MECQ will be different from ECQ this time because the ECQ policy this year—unlike in 2020—allowed public transportation to operate at 50% capacity.

The provision on public transportation was only allowed under MECQ protocol last year. 

The Philippines has 135,526 COVID-19 cases as of Sunday. Of this number, 11,028 new cases were recorded on April 4 alone. 

Based on Department of Health (DOH) records, 58,331 new COVID-19 cases were recorded in Metro Manila in the last two weeks.

The DOH however on Monday could not say yet if the one-week extension of ECQ in NCR Plus will be enough to address the COVID-19 surge in the country.

Interviewed on Unang Balita, DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the situation will be assessed on a week-to-week basis.

The Philippines is projected to have more than 1 million COVID-19 cases before the end of April, the OCTA Research group said Monday as the country continues to grapple with a surge in infections. —KG, GMA News