ECQ extension

When Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella initially announced that there will be an extension of the Enhanced Community Quarantine, there was much buzz. The statement was confusing, he mentioned it might reach a month before he finally laid it down on a statement that it will be until May 15. Surprisingly enough, the national government also recommended the same measure. So I guess we will be having more quarantine stories for the next two weeks. But until when?

The cases in Cebu City aren't slowing down. We saw how from one inmate who tested positive for COVID-19 reached to more than a hundred. If mass testing will continue inside the facility, then we are bound to reveal more who are positive. The inmates inside have become restless. I mean, who won't? It’s even hard to sleep at night knowing that the province is full of infected people, how much more the inmates who are inside an enclosed facility? It’s hard to trace the source of the virus when they have already declared a lockdown since March. Does this mean that the implementation of a lockdown is ineffective?

There are a lot of questions that puzzle me as we brace for more weeks of quarantine. This pains me so much because there a lot of things I miss in the normal world. I miss going to work with everyone else around and meeting people. I am such a sucker for cafés and the outdoors, but this crisis has shut out that part of me. It’s hard to think if I could ever regain that enthusiasm back with the anxiety that has enveloped me. I'm sure we can all relate to this sentiment.

Are we all ready for an extension? Well, if we have been getting used to the current setup now, then lucky for you. But me, I want the economy to start booming again. I want those who rely on a daily wage to get back on their feet and not wait for government aid so they can eat. I miss listening to good news, those that make us happy. A miracle could change the way things are now today and maybe the extension will be lifted before we know it. But if we continue to disobey all rules, then I doubt if they are ever going to give us the freedom we once had.

Let's say that the extension is what we need, fine. But I hope that it will only stop at two weeks, no more than that. If infection persists despite the extension, I don't know how we are going to back to normal. I only hope the experts are right when they said that being under quarantine is what we need. But the cure and vaccine to this madness is what we need the most. If only we can fast track everything.