President Duterte Says Total Lockdown Is Disaster Amid Increasing Cases

Amid the daily increase in COVID-19 cases, President Duterte says total lockdown again would be a disaster.

PRESIDENT DUTERTE – Going back to total lockdown in the country is a disasted says Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte despite increased cases daily.

Returning to stricter and stern health protocols just like last year would be a disaster as per President Rodrigo Duterte. In his latest address to the nation on Monday, March 22, they are accordingly left with no choice but to balance the situation. The economy is already out of shape and the closing down of businesses again would cause a problem.

On Monday, the new COVID-19 infections logged at 8,019 which is the highest number recorded in a day since the pandemic began last year. Health Secretary Francisco Duque III admitted to the president that the eased quarantine rules led to the surge. The increased mobility of the people due to loosened rules resulted in “increased transmission, increased contact rate”.

As much as we are all aware now, Metro Manila now has 76 cases of the B.1.1.7 variant first identified in the UK and 105 patients with the B.1.351 variant that is first recorded in South Africa, and these variants have already spread across the other cities of the region.

Meanwhile, in a previous article, National Task Force Against COVID-19 (NTF) chief implementer and vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. presented the schedule of COVID-19 vaccine deliveries to the Philippines. Among the types of vaccines that the country will receive in the coming months are Sinovac, Gamaleya, COVAX, AstraZeneca, Novavax, and Moderna.

In the same speech, Duterte also discussed the loaned money for the purchasing of the vaccines. As per him, the money is currently in the bank and remained untouched. Once the doses are delivered, the company that sold the vaccine can get the payment through the bank quashing the corruption rumors regarding this matter.