by Rowena Joy Flores
Following the decline of daily COVID-19 cases in Manila, the OCTA Research Group recommended extending the general community quarantine (GCQ) for two more weeks in the NCR Plus bubble, May 26.
OCTA Research fellow Dr. Guido David said in a press briefing that easing the quarantine restrictions to modified GCQ does not seem right because the number of cases is still high. Areas in the NCR Plus bubble which include Bulacan, Cavite, Rizal and Laguna are subjected to GCQ with heightened restrictions until May 31.
“While we believe that we can relax restrictions, we think that we should try to retain the GCQ at this time because the cases are still significant,” David said.
He added that they want to “avoid situations wherein people become very complacent” and think that there are no more cases because of the significant decline in numbers.
David further said that the government can lower heightened restrictions but that these restrictions need to be recalibrated.
“We can add capacity. Especially for business establishments that have been very responsible in following protocols, I think it would not be fair to keep the same restrictions since they have been following protocols and making sure that outbreaks don’t happen,” David added.
A day earlier, David told the Source on CNN Philippines that they recommended the gradual easing of restrictions to avoid situations that could “seriously threaten our pandemic management.”
He cited the recent pool party in NCR that led to the infection of 54 individuals.
“As far as reopening businesses and expanding capacities in offices and businesses, I think that is something we could do,” David said.
He also told the Source that NCR now has a seven-day average of less than 1,100 cases per day. He added that they have downgraded the risk classification of NCR to moderate risk, and for the first time, the positivity rate of NCR is down to 10 percent.
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