Ease lockdown in NCR? Treatment czar says don't be complacent

As coronavirus disease cases slowly decline in the National Capital Region, treatment czar and Health Undersecretary Leopoldo Vega on Sunday said there should be no complacency in lockdown restrictions due to the threat of the more contagious COVID-19 variant.  

"Wala pa tayo sa out of the woods. Hindi pa tayo nakakalabas kasi gradual decrease natin kasi dahan dahan pang bumababa. At saka may variant of concern, 'yung sinasabi nilang Delta variant. Although wala pa sa local setting, pero ito 'yung talagang binabatanyan natin. Kaya huwag tayong...not off the guard. Huwag tayong magkumpinyasa talaga," Vega told Dobol B TV when asked if lockdown restrictions can already be eased due to the declining cases of COVID-19 in the metropolis.

(We are not out of the woods yet. There is a gradual decrease of cases but only slowly and we also have a variant of concern, the Delta variant. This is not yet in the local setting but we are monitoring this. We shouldn't be caught off guard. Let's not be complacent.)

While there are still no local cases of the Delta variant, which is 60% more contagious, there are already 17 cases of the variant in the Philippines, mostly from travelers. 

Vega also noted that some areas in Visayas and Mindanao recorded an increase in COVID-19 cases while cities in metropolis are reporting gradual decline in infections.

Despite this he said: "Although bumababa hindi natin masabi na talagang mawawala talaga. (Cases are declining but we can't say for sure that there is no surge.)"

To address healthcare concerns in provinces outside Metro Manila or NCR, Vega said they are distributing medical equipment in hospitals in Visayas and Mindanao.

"May WHO (World Health Organization), nagbigay sila ng donation lalong lalo na itong mechanical ventilators. Mayroon ding procurement ang government. May ibang nag-donate din ng BiPAP machines na mga private personalities, private organizations... Ito rin binaba natin to high-risk areas," he said.

(WHO donated mechanical ventilators to us. The government procured such equipment as well. Some private organizations also donated BiPAP machines. We also send these to high-risk areas.)

The BiPAP machine that Vega mentioned is a positive pressure ventilation which is one of the procedures for treating patients with COVID-19, the US National Institutes of Health said.

A previous report from OCTA Research showed that Davao City, Bacolod, Iloilo City, Cagayan de Oro and Tacloban were areas of concern as active cases continue to grow there. The independent research organization also reported that cases in Metro Manila was down to an average of 700 new cases per day from June 15 to June 21.

Metro Manila and Bulacan are under general community quarantine "with some restrictions" until June 30.

Rizal, Laguna and Cavite are under GCQ but with heightened restrictions.

Other areas in the country are either under the strict modified enhanced community quarantine or modified GCQ. —KG, GMA News