THE Inter-agency Task Force (IATF) for emerging infectious diseases has issued Resolution 119 S. 2021 on June 3, 2021 placing Davao City under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) from June 5 to 20, 2021.
This is in response to the recent spike in Covid-19 cases in the city in the past week. Based on the regional daily case bulletin of the Department of Health (DOH) in Davao Region, Davao City has been logging a record-high number of new Covid-19 cases in the last week.
On June 1, the city recorded its highest number of new cases in a single day at 338.
On June 3, the city recorded 248 new cases bringin the total caseload of the city to 17,775. Of this number 2,214 are active cases, 14,796 have recovered, and 765 have died.
The spike in cases is also straining the local health system.
The Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) also reported that as of June 3, all the 87 intensive care unit (ICU) beds for Covid-19 patients are occupied. Meanwhile, 306 of the 312 ward beds for Covid-19 patients are occupied.
On Wednesday, June 2, the city government announced on its Facebook page that it has requested the IATF to place the city under MECQ “to allow a circuit breaker in the surge of patients inside hospitals.”
With the rise in the number of Covid-19 patients in the hospitals and at the temporary treatment and monitoring facilities (TTMFs), City Health Office acting head Dr. Ashley Lopez said they may start transferring Davao City patients to other Covid-19 referral hospitals outside Davao City with treatment facilities reaching critical occupancy levels.
"The whole Davao Region was opened up in case there is going to be an overspill. Buot pasabot niini, kung wala nay kabutangan ang SPMC, pwede ta mag-sort out sa ubang probinsya (That means, if SPMC can no longer accommodate patients, we can refer them to neighboring provinces)," Lopez said in an interview on 87.5 FM Davao City Disaster Radio on Wednesday, June 2.
With the continued increase in Covid-19 cases and our health facilities becoming overwhelmed, Davao City shifting to MECQ did not come as a surprise. Limiting the movement of people is just among the measures the city can implement to prevent cases from increasing and overwhelming our health system.
Under MECQ several activities have either been limited or prohibited. For example, under the IATF Omnibus Guidelines dated May 10, 2021, persons aged below 18 and above 65, pregnant women, and people with comorbidities cannot leave their residences except for obtaining essential goods and services, or for work in permitted industries.
It is not easy for many to accept the MECQ decision, considering the economic impacts of the stricter quarantine status. However, it is something necessary to prevent our health system from collapsing.
Therefore, it is also important for Dabawenyos to cooperate -- wear your face masks, observe social distance, wash or sanitize your hands regularly, and avoid gathering as a large group. Two weeks is already hard enough, MECQ running more than two weeks could further put us into an economic burden.