DOH: Granular lockdowns

to ‘safeguard’ NCR when

MECQ is lifted
By: Cathrine Gonzales - Reporter / @cgonzalesINQ
INQUIRER.net / 10:40 AM August 13, 2020

MANILA, Philippines — The implementation of “granular lockdowns”

will safeguard Metro Manila and nearby provinces should the modified
enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) be lifted as scheduled on
August 18, the Department of Health said Thursday.

According to Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire, the national

government is now guiding local government units in enforcing granular
lockdowns, that will involve restricting the movement of residents in
smaller areas instead of the entire region.

“Our safeguard if and when, the government will decide that we will be
easing out on these restrictions, would be the granular lockdowns that we
are now guiding LGUs with,” she said in an interview with ABS-CBN News
Channel.

Vergeire said the government should consider the status of the strategies
that are being implemented in the country’s coronavirus disease (COVID-
19) response in deciding whether to downgrade the MECQ in Metro
Manila, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal, and Bulacan.

“This active case finding where we are doing the post-strategy and of
course improving the capacity of our health system, all of these have to
be considered before we can finally decide if we are going to ease
quarantine measures or not,” she also said.
She added that the current number of COVID-19 cases and the capacity of
the health system should likewise be considered.

Vergeire noted that “we have gained grounds” as some hospitals were
decongested by the transferring of patients to other healthcare facilities
with more available beds, and since some patients were likewise
transferred to temporary treatment and monitoring sites.

“But we have to look at the other side of the coin, we have to look at the
economic side, and our economic managers are already saying that if we
push through and extend quarantine here in Metro Manila or other parts
of the country, a lot of the people would suffer from hunger already and
other diseases will also be evident so we also have to balance when we
try to decide,” the health official pointed out.

As of Wednesday, the country has already recorded a total of 143,749

COVID-19 cases, with an additional 4,444 reported cases. Of the confirmed
cases, 72,348 are active, 68,997 are recoveries, and 2,404 are deaths.
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