100% opening of economy unlikely
Duterte warns PH can’t afford huge spike in coronavirus disease
The Philippines will be in trouble if it totally opens up the economy “in wild abandon” and triggers a huge spike in cases of new coronavirus disease, President Duterte warned early Wednesday.
In his public address aired on state television, the President said the country must be "circumspect” in gradually opening the economy to curb the spread of the coronavirus. As the country remains on the first wave of transmission, Duterte admitted it would be difficult to deal with a sharp surge in infections due to the government’s limited funds.
“We have to be very circumspect in the opening of the economy. Dahandahan lang (It must be gradual). If ever there is going to be a spike again, kung marami ang infected, or reinfected, at least calibrated numbers of people allowed to go out will still be at manageable numbers,” the President said.
“Because if we open the entire Philippines and thousands upon thousands of cases would happen then. We are in d
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t. Talagang mahirapan tayo. Unang-una wala tayong pera (We will have difficulty. First off, we don’t have money),” he said.Duterte said he could not follow other countries that loosened their lockdown and fully reopened their economies despite the raging pandemic. He noted that countries like Japan, South Korea, China and United States have suffered almost a “relapse” when they encountered another wave of infections.
“Although they opened their economy for money to come in to the government's coffers, ang nangyari there was a spike, they have a problem of almost a relapse… 'Yun ang mahirap (That's difficult),” he said.
“Tayo hong pobre (We are poor). We cannot afford really a total epidemic or pandemonium. Mahirap tayo hindi tayo puwedeng sumugal (We are poor, we cannot gamble),” he said.
At present, Duterte said the country remains on the first wave of the coronavirus transmission.
“Have we arrived at the second wave? I don't think so. We are still grappling with the first wave,” he said.
The President also said the country suffered a “double whammy” when the pandemic affected public health and the economy. But he recognized the government's “timely intervention” as well as the work of health workers in stemming the disease outbreak. “Sana mawala na ito (I hope this will pass). Double whammy tayo. It concerns the health of the nation pati 'yung ekonomiya (and the economy).
The only consolation is that we are not the only one. Of course, the rich nations are better off. At least tayo we are able to stop the rampaging COVID on its tracks with our timely intervention, government especially the medical workers,” he said.
Vaccine by December Duterte also said the coronavirus disease will “remain for all time” until the world finds a vaccine or a cure to the illness. He remained optimistic that a vaccine or medicine “to kill” COVID19 will be found by December.
“The only thing that will make it useless would be a vaccine,” he said.
“I am confident that by our readings of other countries who have much improved their scientific study, I think that by December mayroon na hong (there will be a) vaccine or at least if not a vaccine, a medicine that could kill the COVID-19. Ako I would prefer that we use the medisina (medicine) to kill then get a vaccine later on,” he said.
As of July 7, the country has recorded 47,873 confirmed cases of coronavirus with 12,386 recoveries and 1,309 deaths.
The country is largely either general community quarantine or modified general community quarantine until July 15 amid government efforts to strike a balance between containment and jumpstarting the stalled economy.
Cebu City is the only place under the strict enhanced community quarantine due to the rising cases of infections and high critical care utilization rate.
GCQ or MECQ for NCR? Meanwhile, Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año on Wednesday said he does not discount the possibility that the Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ) may be re-imposed in Metro Manila.
Año said that the National Task Force Against COVID-19, of which he is vice chair, will present its data analysis before the Inter-Agency Task Force on Friday.
In an interview over GMA News, Año said that data analysis will serve as the basis whether the community quarantine protocols will be further relaxed, maintained, or reverted to the more stringent scheme after July 16.
DILG Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said a technical working group is gathering and carefully scrutinizing the data before making its recommendation to the IATF. (With a report from Chito A. Chavez)