Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 10) — A week after Metro Manila and four other places reverted into modified enhanced community quarantine, the chief of the Metro Manila Council said city mayors have reported there were fewer COVID-19 cases in their areas.
Speaking to CNN Philippines on Monday, MMC chairman and Parañaque City Mayor Edwin Olivarez said, “Nakausap ko yung iba nating mga mayors, at mula nung inimplement at naghigpit ng ating protocol, yun pong nililimitahan ng paglabas ng tao sa kanilang bahay, ay bumaba rin yung mga cases nila.”
[Translation: I talked to the other mayors, and since stricter protocol was implemented, the limiting of movement outside the home, their cases have also gone down.]
He added his city has also logged fewer cases as they were able to limit movement with the enforcement of quarantine passes, which allow only one person per household to go out and buy necessary goods.
“In the past four days, malaki po ang binaba ng cases natin. Dati…in the past two weeks, three weeks, ang cases sa Parañaque 80, nasa 60. Pero kahapon, for the past four days, 25 yung cases namin na naitatala every day,” he said.
[Translation: In the past four days, there was a big drop in cases. Before…in the past two weeks, three weeks, cases in Parañaque reached 80, 60. But yesterday, for the past four days, we logged 25 cases every day.]
He said they would observe all that was happening until the end of the week to see how the MECQ has affected their localities.
Olivarez said whatever recommendation Metro Manila mayors would make would be dependent on data and not just “gut feel.”
“Sa aming pag-uusap, kailangan po tayo ay supported by data. Kasi lahat po ng recommendation sa IATF ng MMC meron po tayong data na sinusundan. At ang atin pong MMC ay magmi-meeting muli bago mag-end of the week, bago mag-(August) 18 para makita yung data ng DOH (Department of Health) na ipi-present po sa amin all over the National Capital Region,” he said.
[Translation: In our meetings, we have to be supported by data. All of the MMC’s recommendations to the IATF, we follow data. The MMC will meet again before the end of the week, before the 18th to see DOH data from all over Metro Manila.]
In an earlier interview with CNN Philippines, Dr. Mario Panaligan, the president of Philippine College of Physicians, said it would take from two to three weeks to see the effect of the MECQ.
Latest data from the Department of Health said there were 136,638 COVID-19 cases in the country. Sixty percent or 4,163 of the new patients are from Metro Manila.
Recoveries reached 68,159, while the disease has claimed the lives of 2,293.
