THERE were very disturbing reports which aired just last week by responsible government agency and a functionary. The Department of Health (DOH), always saddled by inadequate and unvalidated data, reported that Covid-19 may yet make its presence felt via second wave. This was reported nationwide via ANC, the ABS-CBN news channel.
What alarming news the DOH reported and what an impact this would have on everybody as the nation has been grappling over this disease for over 75 days already. The number of cases has piled up and this number did not include the recoveries which should have been deducted from the number of active cases. Anyway, the global figures are not at all earth shaking as the disease has had a wide scope of infections rather than cure.
More countries have been affected by this malady and the inaction brought by lockdowns everywhere has numbed the economy and businesses, although by some measures, some areas and sectors in the Philippines are allowed to be open.
Still, the fear of being infected is factored into the decisions made or to be made by the Inter-Agency Task Force, which is doing a tough job of deciding whether or not areas are to be now declared as general community quarantine or modified enhanced community quarantine.
Now with the threat of the second wave of Covid-19, even the President is worried sick as to how to address the needs of the populace should the second wave really would come. If the Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea is to be believed, there is yet no second wave as bannered by the DOH. Which of the two would we believe then?
The matter of sustaining the relief goods operations, locally and nationwide is downright staggering and makes a big dent on our resources which need to be aligned in order to combat the disease. Remember, it has not been anticipated in our annual budget, nor was there a provision for it as it came so suddenly.
So, the national leaders are in a quandary as to where to source funds to meet head on the threat of this deadly disease. I believe there will be extensions of the enhanced community quarantine for a longer time beyond June 2020. Whew!