NEDA: March-April experience to guide response vs. surge amid Delta variant

The government's experience in March to April when it placed the National Capital Region and several nearby provinces in an ECQ bubble will guide its response to mitigate the threat of the highly contagious COVID-19 Delta variant.

Socio-economic Planning Secretary Karl Kendrick Chua made the remark a day after the OCTA Research group suggested  a two-week lockdown in the NCR as the region recorded a daily average of almost 1,000 cases.

“Our experience last March to April—[when]we were able to do a better balance—can guide our response,” the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) chief said.

“The risks from the Delta variant are higher,’ Chua said.

Metro Manila and its four adjacent provinces were placed under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) from March 29 to April 11 as new COVID-19 cases saw a steep surge at that time.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III on Tuesday agreed with OCTA Research's recommendation to implement "circuit breakers" amid the local transmission of the Delta variant.

“Our response is to manage the risks by ensuring a much faster vaccination rate, and limiting more stringent lockdowns in local areas or sectors of highest risk, while allowing the rest of the people, especially those already vaccinated, to earn a living,” Chua said.

He said that both the economic and health teams would will need to see the full analysis before recommending new quarantine classifications.

Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion and some business leaders support a two-week “circuit-breaker” lockdown in NCR as long as it would be in August. 

He said the lockdown in August would not disrupt the heavy consumption activities during the “ber” months ahead of the the Christmas season. 

On the impact of a possible two-week hard lockdown on the economy, Chua said, “I'd rather wait till Aug 10, the second quarter [gross domestic product] release before we revisit the targets in light of recent developments.”

OCTA fellow Professor Ranjit Rye said the group would leave it up to the government to decide what kind of circuit breaking measures to put in place but underscored that the status quo “will not be enough.”

Metro Manila is under general community quarantine with heightened restrictions until July 31.

Secretary Vince Dizon, deputy chief implementer of the government’s pandemic response, said authorities are open to OCTA’s recommendations but added that they will seek a “balanced solution” to the threat of the Delta variant.

The total number of COVID-19 cases in the country rose to 1,562,420 on Tuesday with 7,186 new infections, the highest daily infection recorded since June 13.

The Department of Health also announced that total recoveries climbed to 1,478,625 after 5,672 more patients recovered from the illness while 72 new fatalities brought the death toll to 27,318. —NB, GMA News