OVER the weekend, the government and some netizens urged the public anew to self-regulate amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.
It can be recalled that last week, the medical community has called on the national government for a “timeout” because of the increasing number of Covid-19 cases in the country.
“Our healthcare workers are falling ill as they take care of patients, responding to the call of duty while battling the fear and anxiety Covid-19 brings. Our healthcare workers are burnt out with the seemingly endless number of patients trooping to our hospitals for emergency care and admission,” Philippine College of Physicians (PCP) said in a letter to the government.
The distress call of the medical community has been around since the Covid-19 pandemic entered the Philippines. It started with urging the public to be cautious considering the state of the Philippine healthcare system prior to Covid-19. Also due to their limited number, a sudden “explosion” of Covid-19 cases in the country can strain the healthcare system.
When the Covid-19 pandemic began in the country, the government has issued a set of community quarantine guidelines to slow the spread of the disease in the country. Likewise, local government units have implemented their own guidelines to restrict further the movement of the people. In Davao City, the city government implemented the cluster system during the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ). It also implemented food and medicine passes during the ECQ, general community quarantine (GCQ), and modified GCQ (MGCQ).
Sadly, despite the lockdowns, active cases in the country and even in Davao Region have steadily risen. This could possibly mean that people have continued to defy the community quarantine guidelines despite how strict the guidelines are.
Now that restrictions have been eased, it is expected that cases will continue to rise. This could strain the healthcare system if health protocols are not properly imposed.
To help our healthcare workers and our country, there is a need to observe self-discipline. We must understand that fighting Covid-19 is a responsibility that we share.
Therefore, we have to follow the health safety guidelines the government sets and the health officials recommend.
When going out of our homes, don’t forget to wear your facemask or face shield. In public places, observe physical distancing. Also, regularly wash your hands with soap and water. If you have nothing important to do, just stay at home.
Let’s be responsible citizens and observe self-discipline amid this pandemic. Our individual actions may be small but it will help our country and the medical community.