Senator Sherwin Gatchalian recommended the extension of modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) in the National Capital Region Plus (NCR Plus) after the COVID-19 variant first detected in India was also recorded in the Philippines.
“The more we loosen (the economy) up, the more we will grow, the more jobs will be created. However, that thought changed when I saw the new variants or the double variant landed on our shores,” Gatchalian said.
“Going back to our experience last February, March, these variants can be the cause of increased space for infections in our communities. So I would recommend extended MECQ until the end of the month until we arrest and contain the double variant that came into our shores,” he added.
Gatchalian added the modified version of MECQ has been effective in controlling the increase of COVID-19 cases due to stricter restrictions on gatherings and establishment operations.
He said this should be maintained until the government is sure that the India variant is controlled.
“The dining in and gatherings are known as catalysts for infections and we need to keep these shut for now because of these new variants,” he said.
Gatchalian recommends MECQ extension until end of May
Meanwhile, the extension of ban on travelers from India would be discussed by the Department of Health (DOH) and experts from the government’s task force on COVID-19 after the B.1.617 variant has been detected.
According to Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire, they would analyze how the variant first detected in India affect the COVID-19 situation in the country.
“That has to be discussed first… But for now, we continue on with the restrictions until we can recommend,” she said in an online forum.
The task force’s experts are confident that the improved revised testing and quarantine protocols for incoming travelers will be enough to block or detect new cases of COVID-19 variants.
“This is an evolving situation and we understand that restricting movement in general has major implications on people from financial to obviously even mental,” infectious disease expert Dr. Edsel Salvana said.
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