IN LESS than two weeks, the extended Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) is about to be lifted by May 15, that is if anymore extended is warranted. In other others, the ECQ would be set aside if we have already successfully "flattened the curve" or have controlled the infection of the Corona Virus Disease 2019 (Covid-19).
The ECQ may be lifted, modified or extended again depending on the number of infections of the virus. The status of the ECQ by the middle of the month depends on the hands of doctors, other frontliners and of course the public. I am quite sure that nobody would want it to be extended again as a move to contain the virus or significantly lessen the number of infections.
A few days ago, I was forced to go out of the house to buy over-the-counter medicines and some groceries. I have observed that many private vehicles are on the loose along the stretch of the Jose Abad Santos Avenue and along the Mac Arthur Highway.
Likewise, there are many groups of people queuing in grocery stores and drugstores. I surmise they are just like me who need to buy essentials and there is no problem with that. However, I have observed that proper physical distancing is not observed.
Even the popular convenience store is piled with people who are merely buying drinks or beverages and some snacks which may not be considered as essential. I have witnessed a group of young people who are relaxed sipping sodas as if we are not in the abnormal times.
If we are to compare during the start of the implementation of the ECQ, there are a number of checkpoints today which do not anymore flag down motorists, seek for reasons of their sojourn or check temperatures of people inside their vehicles.
During the early weeks of the enforcement of the ECQ, unformed personnel and volunteers were strict in screening passing motorists. There were even some who were ordered to turn back to their travel origins due to some invalid reasons of their travels. Some were allowed to pass checkpoints on the condition that only one person is to be inside vehicles to be allowed to pass to buy some immediate and necessary goods.
Perhaps some law enforcers and other checkpoints personnel at this point in time, are tired and weary of flagging down that they just raise their hands and signal motorists to pass through without any question. It seems that the strict implementation then of the ECQ has waned.
We have to remember that the ECQ is still in effect and that authorities and their agents should be strict to motorists monitoring traveling people and discouraging them from going out of their homes.
Meanwhile, the public should be reminded that we are still of ECQ and we should not be complacent with the situation especially with the fact that no vaccine yet against the virus is available.
At this stage of the ECQ, public awareness should be enhanced and people should be informed of its effectivity until May 15. Some countries who had some cases of Covid-19 infections are now focused on steps to avoid any recurrence while our country is still lessening if not containing the deadly virus.
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