Lorenzana believes MECQ will be eased after August 18

August 10, 2020

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana expressed belief that Metro Manila will be placed in a much relaxed general community quarantine (GCQ) after August 18 as he claimed COVID-19 cases are decreasing.

"I think the trend is going down, yesterday the new cases went down to 3,000 from 6,000 previously so I think we are ready to go down," said Lorenzana, chairman of the National Action Plan against COVID-19.

"We cannot continue with the MECQ (modified enhance community quarantine) because we already know the area with infections, we will focus on that so that other areas can also go to work," he added.

Lorenzana said the stricter lockdown cannot be continued because the people may die because of hunger.

"We cannot always be on lockdown because more people might die in hunger than COVID if they cannot work," he said.

"But anyway having said that, the phase 2 of our plan to combat COVID is already in place since August 1st... and it was approved by the IATF," he added.

Lorenzana explained that the plan is to lockdown specific areas of community with high number of COVID -19 infection.

"The plan calls for, not to lockdown big cities or towns, but to only identify areas with outbreak which will be closed or locked down... (so) ...those that are not badly affected they can already go out and do their jobs," he said.

"So when we open up, I think it should be the individual responsibility of everybody to follow the protocols. I'm sure we can do this because I think the frontliner in the fight against COVID are not the medical practitioners at the hospital. It is the individual person to follow protocols so that you will not be infected," he added.

"Let us all cooperate... it all depends on the cooperation of everybody after we loosen up. After  MECQ when we go to GCQ and localized lockdown," said Lorenzana. Robina Asido/DMS