DESPITE the rising cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Metro Manila—20 as of Monday afternoon—the Department of Health (DOH) on Monday said there is still no need to lock down the region for now.
Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque III said it is premature to impose the lockdown in the National Capital Region (NCR) since there is still limited community transmission of the disease.
“We will have to wait until there is evidence of sustained community transmission…and that will trigger the community lockdown or community quarantine,” Duque said.
“It is one of the interventions as reflected in our protocol in our four-door response strategy,” he said.
He said their other options include class and work suspension, as well as tapping members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) to “complement the effort of our local chief executives and local health officials in the affected communities.”
During the weekend, DOH registered the first case of community transmission of COVID-19, prompting it to issue a Code Red, Sublevel 1 and recommended that President Duterte declare a nationwide state of public health emergency.
Lockdown proposal
Albay Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda called for a one week “lockdown” of Metro Manila as a measure to contain the spread of COVID-19.
His proposal includes suspension of classes, work, bus trips and domestic flights coming from NCR, as well as the closure of the South Luzon Expressway and North Luzon Expressway, and railways.
However, even without the lockdown, five LGUs in Metro Manila—Navotas City, San Juan City, Marikina City, Caloocan and Manila—have already suspended classes in their jurisdiction due to COVID-19 as of March 9.
Salceda report
In a report listing measures to mitigate the economic impact of COVID 19, Salceda said the impact of the virus may cost P218.5 billion or 1.2 percent of the gross domestic product while 92,000 to 175,000 jobs will be affected.
“With the one-week lockdown, it will only cost P100 billion,” Salceda said.
“The costs of mass community transmission far outweigh the economic losses arising from preemptive actions. Zero casualty doctrine should extend to all emergencies, especially health emergencies,” he said.
Salceda said classes should be suspended nationwide to slow down the virus and mitigate any potential for mass transmission.
Salceda said immediate passage of Corporate Income Tax and Incentives Rationalization Act (Citira) will infuse urgently needed economic boost in the private sector.
The government should also minimize interruption to transport of goods by providing sanitation, and sterilization, support and monitoring to logistics companies to restore public trust in the supply chain, and ensure production, especially manufacturing, he said.
“Targeted lending by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas to banks in hard-hit areas and sectors at deeply concessional rediscount rates to ensure that there is money flowing in the economy,” he said. “A properly timed policy rate cuts [is needed] to boost money supply and mitigate contractionary tendencies in aggregate demand,” Salceda said.
For small and medium enterprises, Salceda said the deferment of payment of mandatory social security and other contributions, deferment of rent payments to state-owned assets, postpone repayment of bank loans and assistance to SMEs to link to teleworking and online selling are needed to ease financial requirements and support demand for small businesses and reduce job losses in SMEs.
The lawmaker said the government should assist exporters and importers by expediting issuance of force majeure certificates, and provide legal and administrative consultation to importers, and exporters, to address administrative and compliance costs for foreign trade companies. Samuel P. Medenilla, Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz
Image credits: AP/Aaron Favila