The Manila Times

Vigilance needed even as Covid cases decline

THE number of Covid-19 cases in the Philippines appears to be moving in the right direction. With that, the National Capital Region and other places under a modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) may be ready for a further relaxation of measures, meant to contain the pandemic.

The MECQ status over Metro Manila and several provinces is to expire on May 14, 2021. And for an economy recovering from a 9.5-percent contraction last year, a calibrated reopening could not come soon enough. Gross domestic product was forecast to grow between 6.5 percent and 7.5 percent this year, but actual growth may fall short of that target after the Greater Manila Area was placed in a “bubble” to contain a Covid-19 resurgence last March and April.

Given that backdrop, the present trend is welcome and comes with a sense of relief. But it would be a mistake to let up on efforts to contain and eradicate Covid-19.

The last spike should remind us cases can ebb and flow. Receding numbers may give people false sense the worst is over, leading some to lower their guard by not wearing masks properly and ignoring physical distancing. And just when people think the situation has turned a corner, the crisis gets worse again.

The numbers may be better today but we are far from safe. For instance, the average number of new daily cases has been declining but remains high, almost three times the figures reported earlier this year.

The positivity rate is also worrying. That, too, has been falling but remains nearly three times higher than the 5 percent rate recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). A high positivity rate may mean the present system is unable to detect all infections, hampering efforts to manage the disease.

As we said before, testing capacity should be ramped up, even if daily reports of new cases continue to fall. We also reiterate our suggestion for the government to underwrite the cost of polymerase chain reaction tests. That should encourage more people to get tested and would improve contact tracing and containment programs.

The government at the national and local levels deserve credit for setting up additional isolation facilities and makeshift centers to treat people with mild cases. The authorities should continue building those to free up hospitals to attend to severe cases and others with serious medical needs.

Opinion

en-ph

2021-05-10T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-05-10T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://digitaledition.manilatimes.net/article/281642488048417

The Manila Times