Duterte: No end in sight for lockdown

President Rodrigo Duterte said early Tuesday he would lift the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) imposed on the whole of Luzon region only if a vaccine, antibody, or medicine to cure the COVID-19 coronavirus disease was already developed and available to Filipinos.

In a televised address during a meeting with select Cabinet members, Duterte insisted Filipinos stay at home during the quarantine because the country would still need to endure two to three waves of the epidemic before they would see the end of the lockdown entering its fifth week.

“There's no end in sight. Anong katapusan nito, wala pa? (When will it end, we have no clue.) And our numbers are increasing,” the President said while reading the latest tally on the coronavirus spread in the country.

“At this time, we need to treat the sick, we need to feed our people,” added Duterte, who also admonished hospitals for turning away potential COVID-19 patients.
His remarks were made on the eve of government-led mass testing for coronavirus infections, which official Department of Health numbers put at just under 5,000 on Monday.

The President also discussed the utility of the National ID system to identify those who would need government aid, the distribution of aid to 18 million families most affected by the quarantine, observing social distancing, the United States “being part of the problem,” and the temporary travel ban on medical professionals and frontline workers from leaving the country.

In related developments during the same meeting:

• The Finance Department proposed a wage subsidy for employees of small businesses, as Undersecretary Karl Chua said 3.4 million workers are affected by quarantine measures.
• Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion said the government needed to plan “on how to gradually shift towards reviving the economy” because if not, “many of our Filipino brothers will suffer.”
• Duterte ordered authorities manning checkpoints to let trucks and vehicles carrying food and essential goods from the provinces to pass unhampered to their destinations.

The President told medical workers to hail police vehicles to take them home, especially late at night.

Duterte reiterated several points raised in his previous late-night addresses, including his warning on discriminating against health workers, for local government leaders to “not play around” with quarantine efforts, and for the Left and other critics to inform him “if you have a better way of dealing with the problem, tell us.”

Filipinos needed to brace for a longer lockdown, the President said, because the country was just in the first wave of the epidemic that has claimed over 115,000 lives worldwide, including at least 315 in the Philippines.

“This doesn’t end with those at the hospital, those being treated now, that’s just the first wave. This will have a second wave. While those hit (by the disease) are dying, the others that are being infected, they are the second wave. That’s why you should maintain the social distancing rule,” Duterte explained.

The President promised that if a cure for the coronavirus was already “tested medically” and made available to the country, he would lift the ECQ, which he had extended to April 30 from an initial one-month lockdown that would have ended at midnight of April 12 (Sunday).

https://manilastandard.net/news/top-stories/321509/duterte-ecq-to-be-lifted-only-if-cure-is-available.html

Duterte to lift quarantine once COVID-19 antibody becomes available

President Duterte said he will lift the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) if an antibody against the coronavirus disease becomes available.

Duterte made the statement as he led a meeting of the Inter-agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases late Monday night.

In his remarks, Duterte said he has read materials claiming that a pharmaceutical giant has developed an antibody against COVID-19 that may come out in the market next month.

“I placed the condition there na kung nandiyan na ‘yung antibody, available na sa market dito (if the antibody is already available here), and they are being sold in quantity, numbers, then maybe I am inclined to, maybe, at that time, lift the lockdown,” he said.

“Kung meron na ‘yan, tapos makita ko na ginagamit ng tao, ili-lift ko. Tutal kung magkasakit kayo, may antibodies naman tayo mabili. Ngayon kung wala ka mabili, problema mo na ‘yan kasi tapos na yung lockdown.”

(If it is already available and I see that people are using it, I will lift it. After all, there would be antibodies to buy in case you get sick. Now if you can’t buy any, that’s your problem because I’d have already lifted the lockdown then.)

Duterte, however, said the problem was the Philippines was on the last rung of the ladder and rich countries were already trying to get hold of the antibody. He, however, said the Philippines may be prioritized if China would catch up with other countries and develop their own antibody.

Despite this, President Duterte asked the public to continue cooperating with the government until the antibody reaches the Philippine market.

“Alam mo, ‘pag nagsama lang tayo, kaya natin ito. Kaunting panahon na lang. Alam ko igit na igit na kayo na maka — lumabas,” he said. (If we just work together, we can overcome this. This won’t take long. I know you are itching to go out.)

“With my assurance that when the antibody has passed the medical tests, it’s ready to be sold by May. Kung makita ko nandiyan at magkaroon kayo ng (If I see that it’s there and we have the) supply, then I am ready to lift,” he added.

Luzon is under an enhanced community quarantine until April 30 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In his report to Congress, President Duterte said the Department of Health (DOH) was exploring the possibility of including favipiravir (Avigan) in its clinical trials and was already identifying sources from Japan and China.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has required manufacturers of all medicines that claim to treat COVID-19 to apply and comply with registration requirements. Until their products are proven safe and effective, they cannot be dispensed to the public and even therapeutic claims cannot be permitted.

https://news.mb.com.ph/2020/04/14/duterte-to-lift-quarantine-once-covid-19-antibody-becomes-available/