(Eagle News) — President Rodrigo Duterte appealed to all Filipinos to strictly follow minimum health protocols such as wearing of face masks, frequent hand washing and social distancing amid the entry of the highly infectious B.1.1.7 variant of the COVID-19 virus that was first detected in the United Kingdom.
The 75-year old Philippine leader noted the rising COVID-19 cases in the country, which have now reached more than 500,000. If the situation worsens, the government would be forced to impose widescale lockdowns which could be bad for the economy, he said.
“So it behooves now on government to really answer for their daily needs. And I think that we will be able to surmount kung kain lang but it would also, at the same time, kill the economy because nobody’s working. Again, we’d go back to the non-productivity of the economy. Walang nagtatrabaho, walang output, walang nagbabayad, walang nagbebenta, at lahat na,” he explained.
Obeying health protocols at this time is tantamount to saving lives, and saving the country, he said.
“I hope that you would be religious in obeying the injunctions na sinasabi ng mga ating medical persons simply because we are trying to save our country. Nakakaawa naman kung — mabuti’t na lang ‘yung tinamaan na mayroong talagang resources. Pero ‘yung wala ang nakakaawa,” he said.
“For the sake of humanity, ‘yung kapwa mo tao, bayan mo, kindly obey the protocols: washing of the hands — sana susundin ninyo ito,” Duterte said.
-Duterte reimposes restrictions on those aged 10 to 14-
The President noted how COVID-19 transmissions continue to rise. There were even transmission of the UK variant, B.1.1.7, in Bontoc province, particularly in one barangay. Even minors had been hit by the UK variant, he said, which is why he is reimposing the restrictions on those aged 10 to 14 which had been relaxed by an earlier resolution of the Inter-agency Task Force on COVID-19.
Those aged 10 to 14 will have to stay at home even in areas under the Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ).
“Iyong restrictions na lifting the age of 10 to 14 age group sa MGCQ areas na palabasin na ‘yung mga 10 to 14, I am compelled — it has nothing to do with their incompetence, not at all — ang akin is a precaution because there is or there was or is strain discovered in the Cordillera na ‘yung that is very similar to the strain dito sa United Kingdom,” Duterte said.
“You know, we continue to rise sa transmission sa COVID. We are still trying to figure out itong mga scientists, itong mga statisticians, and those who have knowledge of how it is done kung saan ito,” he said.
President Duterte said that the rise in cases could also be a “late reaction” to the congregation of people that happened during the holidays and early this month. It could also be due to more people starting to go out of their residences due to their work.
“So we continue to pray. Kami dito kasi it’s still rising. Umaabot na ng more than 500,000] ang tinamaan. I hope it would not reach millions because then we would be in serious trouble. We would be no better than the other countries whose rise are really exponential,” he said.
The President told the people in his address to just obey health protocols of hand washing and wearing of masks. Masks should also be properly worn. He noted that mask wearing could reduce transmission of the virus and would also protect the wearer from the virus.
“Ang mask makakatulong ‘yan. It does not provide actually 100 percent. Hindi kami nagsasabi nag-mask, hindi ka tatamaan. Pero you’ll reduce it by about — ako tingin ko, in my own estimate, layman lang ako sa mga bagay na ito kasi hindi ako doktor, I’m not a medical person — it will give you something like 80 percent ano basta worn properly. Kasi ‘yung iba nagma-mask tapos nakikita ko ‘yung ilong ninyo sumasabit doon just on the edge of the mask, the upper portion. So it does not really give a relief at all kung ganoon ang — ka-careless ang tao na gumagamit,” he explained.
(Eagle News Service)
