LGUs urged to impose stricter measures to impede projected Covid-19 case increase

File photo
File photo

INTERIOR Secretary Benhur Abalos has called for stricter implementation of minimum health protocols to impede the increase of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases up to 10,600 cases per day by October, particularly in Metro Manila, as projected by the Department of Health (DOH).

Abalos said local government units (LGUs) should take the DOH’s warning seriously and impose measures to mitigate the possibility of a surge in the coming months.

“Kami po ay nananawagan sa ating LGUs na bantayang mabuti ang mga kaso ng Covid sa kanilang nasasakupan (We are calling on our LGUs to keep a close watch on the cases of Covid in their jurisdiction). We are still in a pandemic and we count on our local officials to lead this war, especially in the coming months where alarming numbers of Covid-19 cases are projected,” he said.

“Marami tayong kababayan ang naghahanap-buhay sa Metro Manila. Ito ang economic center ng bansa, kaya dapat malakas ang depensa nito at mapigilan natin ang pagtaas ng kaso na maaaring kumalat sa ibang lugar sa bansa,” he added.

(Many of our countrymen make a living in Metro Manila. This is the economic center of the country, so its defense must be strong so we can prevent the increase of cases that may spread to other parts of the country.)

The DOH earlier said that the projected increase in cases in the National Capital Region (NCR) can extend to other parts of the country until the end of 2022.

The agency attributed the possible surge to low administration of booster doses, low compliance to prescribed health and safety protocols, increase in human mobility noting the upcoming resumption of in-person classes and the fast transmission of Omicron subvariants.

As of August 11, NCR leads the regions in the country with the most number of Covid-19 cases with 15,804 new cases in the last 14 days.

Next to the NCR was Calabarzon with 10,049 new cases within the last two weeks; Central Luzon with 5,102; and Western Visayas with 2,760 cases.

The DOH, however, said the country remained to be under the low-risk case classification for Covid-19.

Abalos also urged LGUs to strengthen their Covid-19 vaccination, especially the administration of booster doses to the target population to increase the country’s wall of protection against the virus.

“I urge all of you to support the government’s vaccination efforts such as PinasLakas. Vaccines have carried us through the murk of the pandemic. We are able to go back to our old ways because of them, kaya sana ay makita ng ating mga kababayan ang malaking tulong na ito (so hopefully our countrymen will see this is a great help),” he said.

“We cannot let our guards down. The projected number of cases in NCR is a clear sign for all LGUs in the country to step up their campaign because Covid-19 can again trickle to your own backyards. We must work collectively para matuldukan na ang pandemya ito (end this pandemic),” he added.

PinasLakas is DOH’s campaign that aims to immunize 23.8 million or at least 50 percent of the eligible population with the Covid-19 booster shot within the first 100 days of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s administration.

During his first State of the Nation Address, Marcos vowed that there will no longer be lockdowns in the country to further sustain the economic recovery amid the Covid-19 pandemic. (SunStar Philippines)

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