The public should not panic and instead "overcome the fear" about the coronavirus pandemic as the government is "in control" in mitigating the impact of the outbreak, Malacañang said Monday.
(YANCY LIM / PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque highlighted the country's improved pandemic response such as the higher testing efforts as well as country's low coronavirus fatality rate. The Palace official tried to allay concerns about the pandemic after the country recently fell into recession due to the economic slowdown.
"Huwag na po tayong mag-panic. We are in control at nakita naman ninyo, we are 22 or 21 in the world. Ang deaths natin ay mababa, 1.7 lamang. ‘Yan ang importante (Let us not panic. We are in control. You've seen that we are ranked 21st or 22nd in the world. Our deaths are low at 1.7 percent. That's important)," Roque said during a televised press briefing.
"Ang panawagan natin ay let us overcome the fear. Dahil if we do not overcome the fear, hindi tayo makakabangon from the recession (Our appeal is let us overcome the fear because if we do not overcome the fear, we cannot rise from the recession)," he said.
As of Sept. 21, the country has 290,190 cases of coronavirus with 4,999 deaths and 230,233 recoveries.
According to Roque, the government has enhanced efforts to test, trace, isolate, and treat patients with coronavirus illness to help save lives.
He said the country now has the "highest testing rate in the world of Southeast Asia and probably the whole of Asia," surpassing Japan and South Korea. The government also strives to follow the formula of Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong to trace 37 close contacts of an infected person.
To avoid the transmission of the disease in a household, Roque said the government also implements "Oplan: Kalinga" that urges coronavirus patients to be placed under quarantine facility if they don't have a separate room and bathroom at home.
On the treatment of patients, Roque said the government started to use high flow nasal cannula devices, considered "more effective than ventilators," and other medicines to provide relief to the infected and reduce the number of deaths.
Clinical trials for virgin coconut oil, tawa-tawa and lagundi as supplemental treatment for coronavirus cases are ongoing, he added.
"Kilala na natin ang kalaban at alam natin kung nasaan ang kalaban, alam din natin kung paano labanan siya -- sa pamamagitan po ng isolation, sa pamamagitan ng contact tracing at sa pamamagitan po ng treatment (We know the enemy and we know where the enemy is. We know how to fight it through isolation, tracing and treatment)," he added.