President Duterte assured the public that the government is doing its best to mitigate the effects of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, saying he has not even gotten a haircut yet due to restrictions.
(KING RODRIGUEZ / PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO)
Duterte made the statement as the country reached 904,285 COVID-19 cases on April 15.
In his second "Talk to the People" this week, the President asked the public to not be afraid as the government is doing its best to address the situation.
"Do not be afraid. Government is working. Government is busy doing everything, not nothing. Government is trying to get the things to fix all of us," he said in his taped public address on Thursday evening.
"The things that we do to mitigate, not to aggravate, but mitigate and to lessen the impact of the pandemic on our society," he added.
According to Duterte, he has not even gotten a haircut yet because of the decision to close down industries in the National Capital Region-plus (NCR-plus) bubble area.
"Hindi na nga ako nakakapaggupit, oh. Ang barbero namin dito sa kampo, iyang kampo diyan sa likod, diyan man rin ako nagpapagupit, eh nag-lockdown eh (I haven't even got a haircut yet. Our barber in the camp, the camp behind Malacañang, was affected by the lockdown)," he said.
"Stay where you are. So walang movement (There is no movement)," he added.
The NCR-plus bubble area, which covers Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal, is under the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) until the end of the month.
Under MECQ, the following industries or establishments are still prohibited from operating:
- Entertainment venues with live performers, cinemas, karaoke bars, bars, clubs
- Recreational venues such as internet cafes, arcades, etc.
- Amusement parks or theme parks
- Outdoor sports courts or venues for contact sports
- Indoor sports courts or venues, gyms, spas, swimming pools etc.
- Casinos, horse racing, cockfighting and operation of cockpits, lottery and betting shops, and other gaming establishments except for the draws conducted by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office
- Indoor visitor or tourist attractions, libraries, archives, museums, galleries, and cultural shows and exhibits
- Outdoor tourist attractions
- Venues for meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions
- Personal care services including beauty salons, beauty parlors, medical aesthetic clinics, etc. Homes service of these activities are also not allowed
- Indoor dine-in services