Senators on Monday, March 8, expressed alarm at the surge of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) after weeks of an apparent downtrend.
They all, however, stressed the importance of staying at home if there are no essential purchases or trips, and of observing current health protocols.
Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III said there is a need for ‘’stricter implementation of health protocols.’’ Sotto lamented that ‘’we have become too complacent.’’
Asked if it is safe for health officials to place the entire country under Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ), Sotto replied: "Not yet." For his part, Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph G. Recto said there should be strict observance of health protocols.
‘’Social distance, wearing of mask and face shield when in public, wash your hands. If not important don't leave home. Regardless of quarantine status,’’ he added.
Senator Panfilo M. Lacson said this development should concern Philippine health authorities.
‘’Aside from the existing health protocols which Filipinos have already grown accustomed to, contact tracing is key - first to determine the specific areas where the surges occur or are evident so that extra control measures and closer supervision can be instituted immediately,’’ he said.
‘’This is where the role of the LGU's (local government units’) becomes indispensable since they are the closest to the potential spreaders, not to mention familiarity with the people in their localities,’’ he added.
Senator Juan Edgardo ’’Sonny’’ M. Angara, chairman of the Senate finance committee, said that the surge ‘’is very alarming.’’
‘’And we need to take extra precautions once more; many have let their guard down and we have to go back to observing social distancing as these new variants are reportedly more infectious and require less contact time than previous variants for one to contract the new variant,’’ he stressed.
‘’There should be an information campaign on these new variants and the importance of staying and being (even more) careful,’’ he added.
Senator Aquilino Pimentel III said that ‘’we done a lot of things to fight Covid-19.’’
‘’We have spent a lot of time and money to fight Covid-19. The wearing of face mask and face shield, vaccines, physical distancing, washing of hands, no handshakes, minimum physical contact between people, availability of tests, the isolation of the sick, etc, all these should be sufficient to “combat” the virus and limit its spread. Just like the common cold and the flu which are also caused by unseen viruses, we just have to learn to adjust our lives to the presence of the Covid-19 virus in our world,’’ he pointed out What this pandemic has taught us is to focus on the “essential”.
And strengthening the immune system is the most essential thing of all,’’ he said. Queried on whether it is now safe to place the entire country under MGCQ, Pimentel emphasized that it is difficult to use labels because they tend to confuse people.
‘’Ang pakiusap nalang sa lahat: Pag hindi importante ang lakad then stay at home. For your own good (My plea to all: Stay at home when going out of his house is not important),’’ he added.