The Philippines on Tuesday reported over 9,000 new COVID-19 cases, slightly lower than its all-time high of 10,000 new cases on Monday, as the enhanced community quarantine in the greater Manila area entered its second day.
The Department of Health tallied 9,296 new COVID-19 cases, to bring the total active cases to 124,680.
Five new deaths were reported, to bring the total fatalities to 13,191 since the start of the pandemic. There were 103 new recoveries, to bring the total to 603, 310.
Overall, the Philippines has tallied 741,181 COVID-19 cases since the start of the pandemic last year.
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Why a Two-Week ECQ or Lockdown is Ideal, According to DOH
Metro Manila and the nearby provinces of Bulacan, Laguna, Cavite, and Rizal are under a weeklong ECQ to curb a surge in COVID-19 infections.
Authorities have yet to decide on whether to extend the ECQ but the DOH said two weeks is the "ideal" timeframe for a lockdown to be effective since it is the minimum isolation period.
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Will ECQ be extended?
Authorities will decide over the weekend whether the ECQ will be extended beyond April 4. Earlier Tuesday, the DOH said two weeks would be ideal to cap the surge in infections.
"It takes about three days for people to decide if they would want to seek consult for their symptoms. It takes another two days for them to get tested and the waiting for the results and then eventually being isolated. It takes nine days in average," said DOH spokesperson Usec. Rosario Vergeire.
"We have to rememeber the variants are here and therefore if we keep on having this mobiblity of people and the variants are there, the increase will be so much compared to before," she said.
President Rodrigo Duterte addressed the nation late Monday, saying he "would be the last person" to bring them suffering. He said he was "having a hard time" dealing with COVID-19. He said he wished he had the power, "like a magic wand" to end the pandemic.
"Alam mo, I would be the last person --- ako ang pinakahuling tao dito sa Pilipinas na magpapahirap sa Pilipino," he said.
"If only I had the power --- kung nandiyan lang sa akin ‘yong poder na like a magic wand na maalis kaagad itong problema natin, mawala, gagawin ko," he said.
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