PRESIDENT RODRIGO Duterte warned that he might order the reimposition of “stricter” quarantine measures, in case the Filipinos continue to defy protocols amid the prevailing coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
Duterte issued the warning in a taped public address aired on state-run PTV-4 on Tuesday morning.
“These things are for your own good. At ‘pag hindi sumusunod, and may resurgence na naman and new variants, eh mapipilitan talaga akong mag-impose ng lockdown (If you do not follow, considering that there is a resurgence and new variants, I would be forced to impose lockdown). Maybe stricter this time,” he said.
Duterte’s statement came after Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año gave him an update on the number of quarantine violators from May 12 to 16.
During the meeting with Duterte, Año said around 32,867 individuals have failed to ensure the proper wearing of face mask, 10,705 have not observed strict physical distancing, and 585 have joined mass gatherings.
Duterte expressed dismay that many Filipinos continue to ignore the quarantine and health protocols despite the government’s repeated reminders for them to follow the anti-coronavirus measures.
He said the government needs the cooperation and obedience of the public to defeat Covid-19.
“Alam mo, ang pag-asa natin (You know, our hope) is really the obedience,” Duterte said. ‘It does not follow that because you have a Covid-19 vaccine, it does not follow that you cannot be sick again because you can get reinfected.”
Duterte said he is opposed to the idea of imposing stricter measures but would be obliged to do so in case Covid-19 situation in the country worsens.
“Pag sinabi nilang lockdown (If they say we have to impose lockdown), it’s not because I want to do it. Ayaw ko (I don’t want it),” he said. “We just pray that no widespread contamination can occur so that it will not pull us down again sa [in the] matter of many sick Filipinos.”
Based on the previous figures, there was a decline in the number of quarantine violators, Año told Duterte.
“Ang ibig pong sabihin ay pumapasok naman sa isipan ng mga kababayan natin ang pagsusuot ng mask. At ito ay magandang trend sapagkat mas makakatulong para maiwasan po ang ating tinatawag na transmission (It means many of our fellow countrymen are wearing their face mask properly. That is a good trend to help stop the further transmission of Covid-19),” Año said.
The country’s recovery tally from Covid-19 climbed to 1,076,428 after health authorities reported 6,602 new survivors on Monday.
The latest data from the Department of Health (DOH) showed a 93.6-percent recovery rate from a total of 1,149,925 Covid-19 cases since the pandemic started last year.
The DOH also logged 5,979 new infections, bringing the total number of active cases to 54,235, and additional 72 deaths that pushed the death toll to 19,262.
The City of Santiago in Isabela, Zamboanga City, Quirino, and Ifugao are under the more restrictive modified enhanced community quarantine until May 31.
On the other hand, a more relaxed general community quarantine (GCQ) is imposed in Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal, Apayao, Baguio City, Benguet, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Batangas, Quezon, Iligan, Davao City, Lanao del Sur, and Puerto Princesa.
The rest of the country stays under the least restrictive modified GCQ. (By Ruth Abbey Gita-Carlos)
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