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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Easing COVID-19 restrictions in Metro Manila may trigger surge in cases, says UP expert

Easing COVID-19 restrictions in Metro Manila may trigger surge in cases, says UP expert

Published Jul 14, 2021 03:12 pm

(MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)

University of the Philippines (UP) COVID-19 Pandemic Response Team member Peter Cayton warned that loosening restrictions in Metro Manila could lead to another surge in coronavirus disease cases.

"It is too early to really loosen up because as we have seen in terms of the surge event of March and April , even a slight loosening up could really start a surge especially that there are still variants in the country that we are detecting," Cayton said in an ANC interview on Tuesday, July 13.

"NCR is in fragile situation and we have seen this fragility twice already in the history of the pandemic," he added.

Cayton was referring to the COVID-19 surge in Metro Manila in July-August 2020 and March-April 2021.

OCTA Research fellow Fr. Nicanor Austriaco also said that "rather than relax, we should be vigilant."

"Vigilance is the most important thing as we build Delta resilience in the capital," he said during the ANC interview.

Austriaco urged the government to continue its vaccination rollout to decrease the risk of COVID-19 infections and make Metro Manila Delta-resilient.

"The Delta variant, and even worse the Delta Plus, is now so transmissible that it will infect six to eight. If one COVID patient is sick, six to eight other Filipinos on average will get infected," he explained.

"What we are seeing throughout the world now, if a Delta infected individual goes home, within three days the entire household will be also infected," he added.

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