With no end in sight to the growing number of COVID-19 cases, Sorsogon Governor and former Senator Chiz Escudero is urging the Department of Health (DOH) and the National Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases to look into the best practices in other countries that are applicable to the Philippines.
On Monday, the active cases reached 148,594, according to the DOH, after posting 22,366 fresh infections—the highest single day record since the pandemic was declared early last year. The new tally brings to almost 2 million the cases in the country with 33,300 total deaths. Over 1.7 million have so far recovered.
“DOH/NIATF should be more proactive and creative and look at the best practices in other countries and see what applies to us instead of trying to ‘reinvent the wheel all over again,’” Escudero posted on his Twitter account @SayChiz.
The Philippines is the only country in the world with the hardest and longest lockdown in the world since last year, imposing varying degrees of community quarantine restrictions across the country in a bid to stop the spread of the coronavirus. Metro Manila and other provinces considered high risk were placed under the strict enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) that practically halted economic activities.
The ECQ was recently relaxed in these areas to modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) for two weeks. Despite restrictions to movement of people, however, the country has seen its cases of infections reaching record highs.
The UP Pandemic Response Team predicted a grim picture for the country, saying that the total COVID-19 cases may hit 3 million to 4 million by yearend.
“Di na puwede ang puwede na! If you keep on doing the same thing, don’t expect a different result,” Escudero told the DOH and the IATF, government agencies at the forefront in the battle against COVID-19.