The implementation of a Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ) is "working" in decreasing the number of daily COVID-19 infections in the National Capital Region (NCR), an expert from the University of the Philippines (UP) said Friday.
Dr. Guido David, a member of the UP-OCTA Research, said his team is seeing a “positive trend” in the number of cases since Metro Manila reverted to MECQ on Aug. 4.
“So far, nakikita natin medyo positive 'yung trend sa NCR, medyo bumababa siya. We will see next week kung bababa pa siya na mas mabilis na pace (So far, we’re seeing a positive trend in NCR. We will see next week if the number of cases will decrease further),” David told DZMM Teleradyo.
David said they have lowered their initial case projections from 220,000 by end of August to 190,000 due to the return of NCR to MECQ.
“We’ve actually seen some positive indicators,” David said.
David said the effectivity of stricter quarantine measures can also be seen in Cebu City which he said has already flattened the curve.
“Dati 300 cases sila per day, ngayon 100 cases na lang 'yung average nila per day, so nag work talaga sa Cebu City (It worked for Cebu City because before they had 300 cases per day, now their average is at 100 cases per day),” David said.
When asked if the government is taking the right approach to COVID-19, David said: “I think naging tama ‘yung approach (I think now, we can say that they are already taking the right approach).”
David said that while it’s “too early to say” whether the Philippines is winning the COVID battle, he said the trend of cases in the country is already in the “right direction.”
“Kasi nung July, nakaka frustrate, kasi lumobo talaga. Ngayon medyo nag stabilize. I think we’re trending in the right directon, medyo bumababa ‘yung mga cases natin (sa NCR), hopefully, sa Calabarzon din (July was very frustrating because the casses really ballooned. But now, it has quite stabilized. I think we’re trending in the right direction, our cases has slightly gone down (in NCR), hopefully, the same happens for Calabarzon),” he said.
“Ayoko pa masabi na nananalo tayo, medyo premature para sabihin ‘yon kasi (the) trend can reverse, (It’s premature to say that we’re already winning the COVID battle because the trend can reverse),” he added.
David also said once NCR reverts back to GCQ, the government must be “careful” in implementing protocols and choosing which business to re-open.
“Wala kasi kaming data kung saan nanggagaling 'yung transmission. So ngayon based sa anectdotes, maraming transmission na nagyayari sa offices (We don't have data as to where the transmissions are happening. But based on anecdotes, it seems like transmissions often happen in offices),” he said.