MMDA discourages community pantries during ECQ

Metropolitan Manila Development Authority chair Benhur Abalos said Tuesday that community pantries might not be allowed to open once the enhanced community quarantine begins in the National Capital Region on August 6.

“Ang problema kasi sa pantry, kung pipila ka, baka maging super spreader event. Siguro i-coordinate na lamang para bahay-bahay na lang po ito,” Abalos said during Laging Handa briefing.

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(Community pantries can become super spreader events due to the lines of people. Perhaps the distribution of the goods could be house-to-house.)

“Ang purpose kasi ng ECQ ay huwag lumabas ng bahay. Kung magpapapila po tayo sa labas at magbibigay tayo [ng pagkain], baka magkagulo. Kung gustong tumulong, gumawa tayo ng magandang sistema ay i-deliver na lamang sa bahay-bahay para huwag na lumabas ang mga tao,” he added.

(The purpose of the ECQ is to keep people inside their homes. However, lines mean they have to go out and this may result in chaos. Perhaps there is a way to deliver help without having people leave their homes.)

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Abalos said people’s mobility should be limited during the ECQ period in NCR so that extending ECQ won’t be an option.

“We really need to stay home as much as possible so we can starve the virus and prevent transmission,” he said.

Also read: DILG to close community pantries violating health protocols

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MMDA discourages community pantries during ECQ

The  said Tuesday that the highly contagious Delta variant could be behind the recent increase of COVID-19 cases in the country.

“Looking at our cases right now, it’s exponentially rising, so sa tingin po namin talaga (we really think) Delta variant is driving the rise in the number of cases,” Health Undersecretary  told CNN Philippines.

However, the DOH official noted that other variants such as the more transmissible Alpha and Beta could also have caused the increase in cases.

As of July 28, the Philippines has logged 1,856 Alpha cases, 2,146 Beta cases, and 216 Delta cases.

When asked whether community transmission of the Delta variant is inevitable, Vergeire said: “I think so. That is our assumption because of the high transmissibility of this Delta variant.”

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