Classes in all levels in the National Capital Region (NCR) are suspended from March 10 to March 14 “to keep safe the children” amid the rising cases of Covid-19 in the region, President Duterte declared Monday night.
At least two of the four latest cases are from Metro Manila.
“The reason being that so we can see the incubation period which is not ordinarily like a normal virus of three or four [days]. This [for Covid-19] lasts for 14 days,” Duterte said.
He made the announcement after meeting with the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) and mayors of Metro Manila.
Duterte said they may opt to extend the class suspension depending on the recommendation of DOH.
He also supported the DOH’s recommendation against the lockdown of Metro Manila.
“There will be a time I suppose…I hope not…but this time it’s too early,” Duterte said. “It has not reached the level of an epidemic in our assessment and neither is a pandemic.”
Implementing a community quarantine for NCR, he noted, will be detrimental for residents since it will cut the entry of basic necessities in the region.
Duterte said the government has enough money to “defeat” the spread of Covid-19.
“This will not last. I am confident that we will survive this contagion,” Duterte said.
Image credits: AP/Bullit Marquez