The Department of Health (DOH) urged the public to adapt to the "new normal" to combat the spread of the COVID-19 amid the “pandemic fatigue.”
“We are all experiencing this pandemic fatigue, quarantine fatigue. Alam natin na halos lahat ng ating kababayan gustong-gusto na bumalik na sa dati pero ang lagi nating pinapaalala, hindi na tayo babalik sa dati ,” said DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire in an online forum Wednesday.
Vergeire acknowledged that adherence to minimum health standards entails “sacrifice,” but noted that these protocols will help protect the people from the threat of COVID-19.
“Kaya nga may tawag tayo na new normal, na nagbibigay ng kasiguraduhan na kahit may virus dito sa ating environment --- we will still be protected if we are going to comply with these minimum health standards,” she said.
Compliance with the health protocols will help in mitigating the spread of the infection especially that the government is gradually reopening the economy, Vergeire said.
“As you gradually open economy, meron pong magkakaroon ng pagtaas ng mga kaso kung saka-sakali. That’s the expectation. Pero kung tayo lahat ay magtulong-tulong and we can enforce compliance to these minimum health standards, hopefully hindi mangyayari sa atin itong ganito ,” she said.
Vergeire said that the government is “very cautious” in opening up the country’s economy.
“Unti-unti nating binubuksan, binabalanse natin, pinag aaralan bago makapagbukas ng mga sectors of society to prevent this kind of situation from happening in the country , she said.
To note, the World Health Organization (WHO) said that “pandemic fatigue” is being observed in Europe, wherein people feel less motivated and apathetic.
“Amidst this protracted public health emergency, one that has forced people to live with uncertainty and disruption for many months, these levels of fatigue are to be expected,” the WHO said in a statement.
Granular lockdowns
In a related development, Vergeire said that the different local government units have an authority to impose granular lockdowns if they observe an increasing trend of cases in their areas of jurisdiction.
The imposition of such measures is not just for the government’s Interagency Task Force on Emerging infectious Disease (IATF-EID) to decide.
“Binigyan natin ng authority ang local government units so that they can do their granular lockdowns if ever they would see that their cases are rising at kung sakali nakikita nila na nahihirapan makaagapay ang kanilang health system ,” said Vergeire.
To note, researchers from the University of the Philippines urged the government to impose stricter quarantine measures in Bauan, Batangas; Calbayog, Western Samar; and General Trias, Cavite.