(Eagle News) — President Rodrigo Duterte will meet with Cabinet members today, Aug. 2, to discuss the call for a “time-out” made by several medical societies amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque made the announcement in a Tweet.
The meeting takes place a day after Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea met with members of the Cabinet and of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases to discuss the call contained in a letter signed by the Philippine College of Physicians president Dr. Mario Panaligan and read by Philippine Medical Association (PMA) President Dr. Jose Santiago in a press conference on Saturday, Aug. 1.
The groups called for Mega Manila’s return to an enhanced community quarantine for two weeks in order to allow exhausted medical workers to rest.
The groups said the period would also allow the government to reassess its strategies against COVID-19 amid the rising cases.
“We need to reenergize and refresh again so that we can really continue to fight against Covid-19,” Santiago had said.
Medialdea’s group reportedly drew up recommendations on Saturday night.
These were submitted to President Duterte.
“I will make the proper announcement in due course,” Roque said of the Sunday meeting.
