Metro Manila will not revert back to the stricter modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) yet despite the increasing number of COVID-19 infections this Christmas season, a top government official disclosed Saturday, Dec. 19.
National Action Plan (NAP) Chairman Delfin Lorenzana belied speculations that Metro Manila will return to MECQ starting on the evening of Dec. 19 -- a false information being spread on social media and text messages, which already reached the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) and the National Task Force (NTF) Against COVID-19.
"This is not true. As the President had earlier announced, Metro Manila shall remain under general community quarantine (GCQ) until the end of the year. Neither the IATF, nor the mayors of Metro Manila, recommended any shift in the quarantine status in this period," Lorenzana said.
Lorenzana noted the current situation in Metro Manila "is stable and manageable and does not warrant a shift back to MECQ."
Concerns were raised that the government will impose stricter quarantine measures after health experts monitored an uptick of new COVID-19 cases in Metro Manila.
According to the University of the Philippines' (UP) OCTA Research, the COVID-19 reproduction rate in Metro Manila spiked to 1.09 as of Dec. 17. It was a noticeable jump from the 0.90 reproduction rate on Dec. 1, which means that the virus "is spreading very fast."
It was also the first time that the reproduction rate went above the recommended level, which is one, since August.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is advising countries to try and maintain the COVID-19 reproduction rate at one or lower to prevent the healthcare system from being overwhelmed.
But National Task Force (NTF) Against COVID-19 chief implementer Carlito Galvez, Jr. said the public should not be alarmed by the "slight increase" in the number of COVID-19 cases.
"Huwag muna tayong maalarma dahil ginagawa ng mga mayors ang kanilang mga ginagawa. Ang MMDA at mayors ay halos hindi na natutulog para i-supervise at i-implement ang minimum health standards (Let us not be alarmed because the mayors are doing what they're supposed to do. The MMDA and the mayors are losing sleep over supervising and implementing minimum health standards)," he said.
Data from the Department of Health (DOH) showed that 445 new infections were recorded in Metro Manila on Saturday, Dec. 19, which brought the total cases to 205,654.
Of these, 8,488 cases are "active" or those still recovering; 193,406 have recovered; and 3,760 died.
Lorenzana urged the public to continuously observe the minimum health protocols set by the IATF.
"We appeal for the public's cooperation in observing the health protocols we have in place, such as wearing of masks and face shields in public, washing of hands, and practicing social distancing," he said. "Let us avoid going to crowded places and holding social gatherings in the meantime to help prevent a possible surge in cases during this holiday season. The COVID-19 pandemic is still very much a threat to our public health and safety. Let us not be complacent."