Rody makes time for ECQ decision

There is no definite decision yet on whether to lift or extend the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), or the euphemism for lockdown being implemented all over Luzon. While the country remains vulnerable to the continuing spread of the deadly flu-like contagion called as the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19), President Rodrigo Duterte is obviously keeping his options open amid the ongoing debate whether to carry out a calibrated lifting of ECQ and adopt instead a “modified” version of the current Luzon-wide lockdown, or extend it anew.

This comes at the heels of growing fears and concerns on the looming economic disaster that COVID-19 contagion has caused the country since it has been enforced on March 15. A week before the original month-long ECQ was to lapse last April 14, President Duterte extended it for another 15 days ending this April 30.

Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles, official spokesman of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Infectious and Emerging Diseases (IATF-EID), admitted yesterday they have not reached consensus of what to recommend to President Duterte. According to him, the President told the IATF to go back to the drawing board and fine-tune the various proposals.

This included proposals from the Duterte economic managers like presidential adviser Jose “Joey” Concepcion who is pushing for a modified ECQ. Concepcion urged to allow the return of workers to presently classified non-essential production activities but under strict physical distancing safeguards to prevent COVID-19 infection.

The President invited leaders of the 18th Congress, namely Senate president Vicente Sotto III and Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano to sit down in a meeting last Monday at Malacanang with the IATF members chaired by Health Secretary Dr. Francisco Duque III. Obviously, this was to take into consideration the political side of the ECQ and COVID-19 related issues and matter.

But the most important meeting the President had that day was consulting with the former secretaries of the Department of Health (DOH) – all medical doctors themselves who served during the previous administrations. They included ex-DOH Secretaries Janet Garin, Esperanza Cabral, Jaime Galvez-Tan, and Susan Mercado. Also invited were other public and private health and medical practitioners doctors Anthony Leachon, Ana Lisa Ong Lim, Marissa Alenjandria, Katherine Ann Reyes and Alfredo Lagmay. For a change, we are seeing a more consultative approach of the government in trying to get inputs and recommendations from all health and medical authorities and experts.

In a public health crisis like COVID-19 contagion we are having now, it would do well to listen to the men and women in white coats. 

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque who attended the meeting with the ex-DOH officials noted there seemed to be “almost a consensus” among them to adopt a “modified,” or relaxing certain ECQ regulations without compromising the protection of healthy Filipinos from COVID-19 infection. Roque disclosed President Duterte talked sparingly but listened more to the individual briefings.

In fact, Roque listed down five specific questions propounded by the former Davao City Mayor during the meeting:

“What will happen if he (President) lifts ECQ to certain kinds of people?”

“What good will lifting or relaxing ECQ give to certain sectors of society?”

“How many people will die if ECQ is lifted, modified or retained?”

“Is there a possibility of a second wave of COVID if ECQ is relaxed or lifted?”

“If people are allowed to go out of their homes, is there a danger for the disease to spike anew or is this just really round one of COVID?”

Whether or not to extend the ECQ, both Roque and Nograles reiterated, President Duterte would be guided by “science-based” decision and guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO) on the quarantine measures to contain the spread of COVID-19.

Nograles even enumerated the following official interim guidelines of the WHO to COVID-affected countries before adjusting public health and social measures:

• COVID-19 transmission is controlled

• Sufficient public health workforce and health system capacities are in place

• Outbreak risks in high-vulnerability settings are minimized

• Preventive measures are established in workplaces

• Manage the risk of exporting and importing cases from communities with high risks of transmission

• Communities are fully engaged.

If done prematurely, the WHO warned yesterday this could trigger a “second wave” or resurgence of cases of COVID-19 infection. In a virtual press conference, Dr. Takeshi Kasai, WHO regional director for Western Pacific issued this piece of advice: “Lifting of lockdowns needs to be done gradually. I’m sure nobody wants to see another spike by lifting restrictions so soon.”

“If restrictions are relaxed before strong systems are in place to identify, isolate, and care for sick and tracing their contact, this will likely lead to a resurgence of disease,” Kasai warned.

This reminded me of another warning earlier echoed by American doctor, Anthony Fauci who is currently the director of the National Institutes of Health in the United States. Dr. Fauci is better known for initiating research for the treatment and cure of acquired immunity deficiency syndrome-human immuno-virus (AIDS-HIV) when it became a global pandemic in the 1980’s.

Dr. Fauci has served as consultant to six US Presidents in the past. At present, President Donald Trump also sought the expertise of now 74-year old Dr. Fauci to help guide the White House on policies to contain the COVID-19 pandemic contagion that have caused already thousands of deaths in the US. When Mr.Trump announced his plans to ease up by Easter (April 12) the US government COVID-19 restrictions, Dr. Fauci spoke against it during a CNN interview: “You don’t make the timeline. The virus makes the timeline.”  

After having an 18-minute telephone talk with Mr.Trump last Sunday, President Duterte has perhaps heard already the advice of Dr. Fauci. This is why President Duterte is taking time before making a final decision on the ECQ.