Speaker Lord Allan Velasco has called on the public to heed the advice of health authorities to voluntarily stay at home as a second wave of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) infections pushed a surge in cases in the country.
(Lord Allan Velasco's Office / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
Velasco aired the appeal as he ordered a lockdown of the Batasan Pambansa complex following a spike in COVID-19 cases among employes and officials, including three congressmen.
The House leader has aired utmost concern over the ensuing COVID-19 condition being experienced in the country.
Velasco appealed to Filipinos to avoid non-essential travel and strictly observe protocols, saying that the best health advice right now is for people to stay in their own homes.
“With new COVID-19 cases reaching record highs, we must at all times heed the stay-at-home advice of our health authorities. This way, we are not only helping curb the spread of the virus but more importantly we are saving lives,” Velasco said.
The Department of Health has advised the public to stay at home and suspend all non-essential travel after the Philippines on Saturday logged 7,999 new infections—the highest recorded single day case count. Since March 13, the country has seen its daily cases surging to similar levels recorded in August 2020.
Velasco said the stay-at-home advice was issued “to protect us, our families, and the public at large.”
“Let us do our part by not leaving our homes unless it is for essentials or emergencies,” Velasco said.
The speaker also reiterated his appeal for the public to remain vigilant in following health and safety protocols, such as maintaining safe physical distancing, wearing of face mask and face shield, and practicing good hygiene that includes frequent hand washing or sanitizing.
“The message should be clear by now: if everyone pitches in to stop the spread of COVID-19, the better for the economy. If each and every one plays his or her part, the faster we can move to MGCQ and resume some semblance of normalcy in our lives,” he added.
By staying at home and continuing all public health precautions, Velasco added, people will also help reduce the burden on health care workers, who have been at the forefront in the fight against COVID-19 since 2020.
Velasco lamented that one year into the pandemic, medical frontliners remain under enormous pressure to save lives and curb the spread of COVID-19 while many seemed to have dropped their guard in the fight against the deadly disease. “Our health care workers are exhausted and our healthcare systems will be again overwhelmed if we continue to sidestep health and safety protocols, individually and collectively. We must never let our guard down,” Velasco said.