THE Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases is looking at relaxing quarantine measures by imposing localized restrictions only in barangays with confirmed coronavirus cases to allow economic activity to restart.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said Tuesday, April 14, that the task force held initial discussions on the matter after Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship Jose Ma. “Joey” Concepcion stressed the need to jump-start the economy.
“Nagkaroon na po ng initial discussions kung ano ang mangyayari pagkatapos nitong additional weeks ng ECQ, ito po ay sa pamamagitan ng report ni Presidential Adviser Joey Concepcion at ni (Finance) Secretary Carlos Dominguez (III),” Roque said.
Concepcion, in a meeting with President Rodrigo Duterte that was broadcast late Monday, noted that Luzon would have been under enhanced community quarantine by the end of April.
“Now is the time that we should really look and plan on how to gradually shift towards reviving the economy. Because in the end, social amelioration cannot last forever. We have to bring back the jobs,” he said.
President Duterte, however, said he will consider the lifting of the quarantine measures only when the Philippines gets hold of “antibody” against Covid-19.
Kung mayroon na ‘yan tapos makita ko na magagamit ng tao, i li-lift ko [the enhanced community quarantine] tutal kung magkasakit kayo, may antibodies naman tayong mabibili,” he said during the late Monday night meeting.
The President said a giant pharmaceutical company was developing antibodies against the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), the respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus or Sars-CoV-2.
“I cannot mention the pharmaceutical, pero mayroon na pong nakagawa ng antibody na hindi galing sa tao—mayroon nang medicine ang isang giant pharmaceutical,” Duterte said.
“Sabi by May, they would start to sell it, ang problema, we are on the last ladder, ang una niyan ‘yung mga mayaman,” he added.
Antibodies, or immunoglobulin, are proteins produced by humans and other life forms that bind to and inactivate foreign substances such as pathogens like the novel coronavirus.
As of April 13, the Department of Health has recorded 4,392 Covid-19 cases with 315 deaths and 242 recoveries.
Roque said Concepcion also suggested mass testing and allowing the manufacturing companies that produce non-essential items to operate.
Dominguez, for his part, suggested that ECQs must be eased in areas which are not severely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Si Secretary Dominguez naman po, mas marami ang naging suhestyon on the basis of geographical location-- mga lugar na wala naman masyadong kaso ng Covid-19, puwede na siguro i-relax ang ECQ sa mga lugar na ‘yon,” Roque said.
“Mayron ding isang suhestyon ‘yung ‘home morbidity’ kasi itong Covid-19 po ay deadly para doon sa mga may existing na na karamdaman kagaya ng sakit sa puso, diabetes, at respiratory problems cancer,” Roque said.
“Ang isang suhestyon ay mananatiling on lockdown itong mga taong may ganitong klaseng sakit,” he added.
Roque said that balancing health and economic obligations is still a challenge for the national government.
“Paano natin babalansehin ‘yung obligasyon ng estado na pangalagaan ang kalusugan ng mamamayan laban sa Covid-19, doon sa katotohanan na kailangan ng magkaron ng kabuhayan ng ating mga kababayan?” Roque said.
“Siguro kung sapat ang ating kaban ng bayan eh hanggang di nawawala ang covid 19 eh ipagpapatuloy antin ang ECQ, eh hindi nga po ganon, hindi tayo mayaman na bansa,” Roque added. (SunStar Philippines)