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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider Restrictions may be eased in Metro Manila if cases go below 2,000 -- OCTA

Restrictions may be eased in Metro Manila if cases go below 2,000 -- OCTA

Published Apr 29, 2021 11:32 am

An expert from the OCTA Research Group said quarantine restrictions may be eased in Metro Manila once the daily number of cases in the capital region goes below 2,000.

This photo taken on April 6, 2021, shows a relative wearing personal protective equipment attending to a family member with COVID-19 at a makeshift ward in a hospital in Manila.
(Photo by JAM STA ROSA / AFP / MANILA BULLETIN)

In an interview with ANC on Thursday, Dr. David Guido said that while below 2,000 is still a “significant” number of cases for the National Capital Region (NCR), he believes it can be managed under the less restrictive General Community Quarantine (GCQ).

Guido, meanwhile, said the two-week extension of the Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ) in NCR could make a “significant difference.”

“Right now, we’re seeing a downward trend already in NCR, but we need to sustain this downward trend,” he said.

The expert said the numbers in NCR are still “unstable.”

“There are still some LGUs (local government units) which are not really declining yet or the decrease is very slight and there are some LGUs which have made significant improvement in the number of cases per day,” he said.

“We’re hoping that these two weeks will be able to decrease the number of cases per day in NCR,” he added.

David said the number of cases in NCR must go down to at least 2,800 during the two-week MECQ.

A "less than 2,800 cases" would mean “more people are being discharged compared to admission,” David said.

“That would mean our hospitals will start to loosen up or less strain on them,” he added.

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