The Department of Health does not rule out imposing stricter protocols if COVID-19 cases sharply increases. Just this weekend, quarantine rules were relaxed due to the shift of some areas to modified enhanced community quartantine (MECQ) and general community quarantine (GCQ).
As businesses and malls begin to slowly reopen, more and more people started to go out and flock to these now crowded areas. Fearing for another surge in cases, DOH Spokesperson Maria Rosario Vergeire talked about the repercussions when the dreaded increase happens.
“This is actually a shifting or transitioning para mapababa at mapababa ang community quarantine. Pero kung makikita po natin ito tapos biglang mag-surge ang cases natin, malaki po ang posibilidad na…we need to do another total lockdown if cases will increase,” she said.
[This is actually a shifting or transitioning so we can continually lower community quarantine. But if we see this, and cases suddenly surge, there is a possibility we need to do another total lockdown if cases will increase.]
Vergeire appealed to people to reconsider going out, and reminded them that despite the easing of restrictions, the entire nation is still under quarantine.
“Sana nga po ang ating mga kababayan ay naiisip nila na kung kinakailangan at saka magpunta diyan. Nagpalabas po ang pamantayan ang Department of Trade and Industry para sa mga malls para sundin po nila ito para hindi magdagsa ang mga tao. So we are expecting the mall operators and the local government units at that should enforce these minimum health standards. para po hindi nagkakaroon ng ganyang crowd sa loob ng isang mall,” she emphasized.
[ hope people think about whether they need to be in these places or not. The Department of Trade and Industry has released guidelines for malls for them to follow and not allow crowds to come in. So we are expecting mall operators, and the local government units at that, should enforce these minimum health standards so there would be no crowds in a mall.]
Metro Manila and six other provinces are now under the modified enhanced community quarantine.
