With the country’s limited resources, an economist-lawmaker on Monday proposed to the national government to impose household lockdowns instead of widespread community quarantines.
Marikina Rep. Stella Luz Quimbo asked the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) to shift to a more targeted approach of household lockdowns.
She said the IATF needs a pivot in the approach of implementing lockdowns, stressing that an enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) or modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) is simply too broad in implementation.
“Equally important is that under a household lockdown approach, we will not need to close down the economy. We need a more targeted approach. The attack requires a surgical and not a shotgun approach,” she said.
“Our resources are limited, so let’s be strategic about using them. Only affected households will be required to adhere to a strict stay-at-home policy, and given the corresponding assurance that necessary ayuda [assistance] is guaranteed and health care will be provided, whether at home or in the hospitals as needed,” Quimbo added.
In her proposal, Quimbo said the wheels of the economy can go on turning and ensure that workers can keep their jobs, their livelihoods are preserved while, at the same time, ensuring their safety and health.
“A household lockdown allows the virus busters to be pro-active. Ito ang isang paraan para maunahan natin si Covid,” she said.
“The virus is unfortunately moving faster than policy. I have some apprehensions on the effectiveness of an MECQ in controlling the further spread of Covid while jump-starting the economy,” she added.
Last Sunday, the government decided to ease community lockdown in the National Capital Region (NCR) and its surrounding provinces, which are currently the epicenter of infections in the country.
The President approved the recommendation of the IATF to downgrade the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in the said areas to a modified ECQ instead.
Moreover, Quimbo said that besides the targeted household lockdowns, the government should implement the swift and effective rollout of the vaccine program without any delay.
“We need to ensure that the vaccine supplies are forthcoming as planned, without any delay and that these are swiftly and safely distributed to the public,” she said.
“The IATF is lifting the ECQ at a time when the number of deaths is at a peak, with 401 deaths reported just last April 9. We must keep in mind that we must do this with a more responsive plan in place,” she added.