The government is prepared to implement the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in Metro Manila in the next two weeks to thwart the active coronavirus cases from soaring to more than a half million by September.
As authorities impose movement restrictions to contain a fast-spreading outbreak, Presidential spokesman Harry Roque admitted that the NCR lockdown would be difficult and costly but was necessary to protect public health and save more lives.
He also renewed the government's appeal to families to impose their own lockdowns by staying home during the ECQ period in the capital region.
"Handa na po ang gobyerno para ipatupad ang ECQ ‘no. Pero ang aking panawagan po, huwag na nating iasa sa gobyerno ang pagpapatupad ng ECQ. Lahat po ng hepe ng pamilya mag-declare na po kayo ng lockdown, walang lalabas sa tahanan (The government is ready to implement ECQ but our appeal is for people not to rely on the government's implementation of the ECQ. All heads of families must declare their own lockdown -- no one will go out of the house),' he said during a televised press briefing Thursday, August 5.
"Kasi kung hepe ang magpapatupad niyan, sigurado po hindi na mahihirapan ang gobyerno (Because if the head of the family implements it, the government won't probably have a hard time)," he added.
From a weeklong stricter general community quarantine (GCQ), the National Capital Region will shift to the ECQ, the most stringent of the four quarantine levels, from August 6 to August 20, 2021 in an attempt to prevent the further spike in Delta-driven coronavirus cases.
Among the ECQ restrictions are stay-at-home rule except for going to work in permitted establishments and getting essential goods and services, limited operations of businesses and public transpiration, ban on mass gatherings and face-to-face classes, and travel restrictions.
The government was previously reluctant to enforce another hard lockdown after the first pandemic lockdown in March 2020 caused a recession and left many Filipinos jobless and hungry.
But with the threat of the highly infectious Delta variant, the government is forced to resort to such restrictive movement curbs for everyone's safety. Roque said the two-week lockdown would hopefully prevent the active COVID cases from surging to 525,000 by the end of September.
As of 4, Metro Manila has recorded 560,956 cases of coronavirus, including 14,800 active cases. The death toll in the capital region has reached 8,360.
The country's total cases of coronavirus stood at more than 1.6 million.
"Kapag hindi po natin ito ginawa, ulitin ko po – 525,000 case by end of September ang posibleng magkaroon tayo ‘no. Eh wala po tayong sapat na ospital para alagaan iyong mga seryoso at kritikal na magkakasakit out of the 525,000 (If we won't do it, I repeat we may possibly have 525,500 cases by end of September. We don't have enough hospitals to take care of the serious and critical cases out of the 525,500)," Roque said about the NCR lockdown.
"So ito po’y para sa kabutihan ng lahat. Masakit alam ko po iyan, mahirap, magastos pero kinakailangan po natin iyan para mapangalagaan po natin ang kalusugan ng lahat (This is for everyone's welfare. I know it is difficult, costly but is necessary to protect the health of everyone)," he said.