The return of Mega Manila to modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) starting August 4 to 18 can reduce the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), an expert from the University of the Philippines (UP) said Monday.

MECQ will limit public transport and work in some industries where virus transmissions recently occurred, according to Dr. Guido David of UP Institute of Mathematics and member of the UP-OCTA Research.

"Makakatulong talaga yan kasi mababawasan yung transmission na nangyayari sa public transportation, sa mga office. Pag lumalabas yung mga tao mas mataas yung infection kasi mas maraming contacts na nangyayari sa mga tao (It (MECQ) will really help because it will lessen the transmission in public transport and office. When more people go out, infection is higher because there are a lot of contacts happening)," David told DZMM Teleradyo.

However, David noted that flattening the curve is still not possible because MECQ is "too short."

"Kung mapapababa natin, babagal din talaga yan sa two weeks na yan. Pero kung flattening the curve, hindi pa siguro kaya kasi masyadong mabilis. Sa Cebu kasi, inabot nang isang buwan pero na-flatten nila yung curve nila… Malaki rin naman yung matutulong nito kasi in theory, in two weeks, pwedeng mawala yung virus kung di talaga nagkakaroon ng transmission. In theory, kayang mawala yung virus kasi two weeks lang naman yung life span nung virus (If we can lower the transmission, it will really slow down in two weeks. But flattening the curve is impossible, because MECQ is too short. In Cebu, it took them a month before they flattened their curve… the MECQ will also help a lot, because in theory, the virus can disappear in two weeks if there's no transmission because the life span of virus is only two weeks)," David added.

"Pero syempre, hindi natin talagang inaasahang mawawala yan. Magkakaroon pa rin ng transmission yan pero malaki matutulong nyan sa pagbaba ng bilang tsaka sa frontliners. Kasi ngayon umaabot tayo ng 4,000 to 5,000 cases per day.
Kung mapababa natin yan, malaking ginhawa yan sa frontliners (It can't eliminate the virus. Transmission will still happen but MECQ will help reduce transmission a lot and help our frontliners. Because now we have 4,000 to 5,000 per day. If we can reduce this, it will be a great relief to our frontliners)," David added.

The MECQ will cover Metro Manila, Laguna, Rizal, and Bulacan. The second strictest lockdown bans buses, jeepneys, taxis, ride-hailing services, and tricycles from plying the road and limits the operation of establishments to half of their capacity.

COVID-19 infections in the Philippines was recorded at 103,185 with 65,557 recoveries and 2,059 deaths.