(Eagle News) – President Rodrigo Duterte advised all parents to make sure that their school age children stay at home as he directed class suspensions in all levels in Metro Manila from March 10 to March 14 amid the rising cases of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) which have now reached 24.
Duterte himself announced the four new coronavirus cases Monday night, March 9, after meeting with the Interagency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases.
The four new cases are in addition to the 20 cases announced by health officials earlier.
Duterte said that four new cases are in West Crame in San Juan, Sta. Maria in Bulacan, and Project 6 in Quezon City.
“Yung COVID-19 is here. It is a contagion. It has not reached the level of an epidemic. neither is it a pandemic, but If you read the TV you will notice that the number of victims is galloping.”
“24 lahat as of last count,” said Duterte after consulting with Health Secretary Francisco Duque III who was seated beside him during his press briefing in Malacanang late Monday night, March 9.
“It is the consensus of everybody that classes will be suspended in National Capital Region lang beginning tomorrow and it will end in March 14,” the President said.
-Safety of children, paramount, says Duterte in suspending classes-
Duterte said that they want to ensure the safety of the children in Metro Manila, and also to reduce the possible COVID-19 cases in the following days during the 14 day incubation period.
“The reason being tingnan natin yung incubation period. Ito umaabot ng 14 days… One is to keep safe the children. Second is we are going to establish a benchmark kung ilan pa ang madagdag (if there are cases that will be added afterwards),” he said.
Duterte said that health and local officials would monitor if the suspension of classes will reduce the number of victims.
“We keep the children sequestered at home, and study there. Stay home but study,” he said stressing that this was the condition agreed upon with Education Secretary Leonor Briones with the decision to suspend classes in the whole of Metro Manila.
-DILG tasked to ensure children stay at home with parents-
Duterte also directed the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the police to make sure that the students will stay home and not loiter around.
Barangay officials and even policemen are tasked to do this, and would even lecture parents who will fail to make their children stay home.
“Walang klase. In all levels ito (There are no classes, in all levels),” he said.
“Mahirap kasi. The virus is so virulent that a mere talking or handshaking shall place you in jeopardy. We are trying to avoid losses especially lives. That is why we met this afternoon,” he said.
-Duterte: We’ll survive this. We can defeat the virus-
“I am confident that we will survive this contagion,” he stressed.
Duterte said that after March 14, he and the interagency task force on infectious diseases will be meeting again to assess the situation.
“Itong 24 (cases) ngayon, gagaling ito. Palagay ko gagaling (These 24 cases will recover. I think they’ll recover.”
“We can defeat it (the virus),” he added.
The President on Sunday, March 8, signed Proclamation No. 922 declaring a state of public health emergency throughout the country after the confirmation by the Department of Health of local transmission of the highly infectious COVID-19.
(Eagle News Service)