House panel chair says 2-week MECQ inadequate to curb COVID cases rise

House Committee on Health chair Angelina "Helen" Tan on Sunday admitted that the two-week modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) implemented in Metro Manila and nearby provinces was not enough to reduce the number of COVID-19 cases being reported daily.

In a Super Radyo dzBB interview, Tan said that while it has been almost a week since Metro Manila and the provinces of Bulacan, Laguna, Cavite, and Rizal have been reverted to MECQ, there is no significant decrease in the number of COVID-19 cases reported every day.

"To tell you honestly, hindi talaga siya enough. Like for example, ngayon naka-almost one week na tayo and hindi rin naman natin nakikita yung changes in the numbers nung ating cases," she said.

"So yung two weeks is not enough para talaga ma-achieve natin yung target na mapababa natin ang numero ng kaso," she added.

As of August 8, a total of 126,885 cases of COVID-19 have been reported in the Philippines, with 2,209 deaths and 67,117 recoveries.

Records from the Department of Health showed that for 10 days straight, over 3,000 new cases of COVID-19 were reported in the country.

President Rodrigo Duterte last Sunday placed Metro Manila and surrounding provinces under MECQ beginning August 4 in response to the call of the medical community as health workers are already exhausted due to the increasing number of COVID-19 cases being brought to hospitals.

Tan, who is a doctor herself, attested to the difficulty in getting confirmed and suspected COVID-19 cases in hospitals.

"In the past few days, I'm facilitating transport of patients with COVID or suspected COVID na hindi makahinga, may mga co-morbidities. Hirap na hirap akong maghanap ng hospital na tatanggap doon sa mga pasyente. Yun ang reality talaga," she said.

"Kung alam lang nila ang sitwasyon ngayon sa mga health facilities, especially in NCR, talagang nakakaawa na yung ating mga doctors, nurses, MedTechs, lahat sila," she added.

Having observed little effect on the reimposition of MECQ, Tan urged the public to strictly follow the minimum health standards imposed by government officials and health workers in order to curb the transmission of COVID-19 and, in effect, lessen the number of patients being brought to hospital.

"Importante din talaga yung suporta ng mga Pilipino. Makiisa tayo doon sa panawagan ng ating mga namumuno at ating mga medical frontliners, kasi talagang pagod na pagod sila," she said.  —LBG, GMA News