Why We Should Not Go Outdoors?

According to the official website of the World Health Organization (WHO), the
Philippines ranks 26th worldwide and 1st in the Western Pacific region with the most number
of COVID-19 cases. The coronavirus cases here in our country have now reached over 400 000,
yet many Filipinos still dare to go outside and violate quarantine protocols as if everything is
already back to normal. It is justifiable for the poor with no means of having protective masks
and shields and those who badly need their jobs to provide for their family needs. But for those
who are privileged enough and those who only want to have some fun outside, their actions
should be the ones condemned. In an article written by Jose Lim of IBON Foundation, it was
stated that Secretary Duque of the Department of Health (DOH) said that our country does not
have a weak healthcare system, but with how our country continues to suffer from this virus
shows otherwise. Amid battling COVID-19 in July, news regarding hospitals running out of beds
for coronavirus cases has signaled that the healthcare system here in our country is close to
being overwhelmed. Our country is already lacking of medical facilities and professionals, so
continuing to disregard the health protocols will cause more shortage in the medical field.
Despite of these insufficiencies, the DOH never failed to remind the Filipino people of the do’s
and don’ts to combat the virus. From the Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire
herself, she stated that our frontliners are growing tired. “That is why we appeal to everyone to
follow the minimum health standards, and to just stay at home if there’s nothing important to
do outside,” she added. In essence, staying at home is not only to protect our self alone. As a
nation whose health sector is given low prioritization by the government, we, the general
public, must be selfless and be considerate to our fellow Filipino people by not risking going
outside. This way, we are minimizing the potential risk of acquiring the virus and infecting
others which is a huge sigh of relief for our medical personnel. Thus, staying at home is one of
the simplest things that we can do to be one step ahead towards a coronavirus-free Philippines.