Pinoys urged to improve ‘social behavior’ vs. Covid-19

Año said the aim of ECQ is to lower the death rate and the doubling of cases in the areas. (PNA File photo by Joey O. Razon)

MANILA – Interior Secretary Eduardo Año on Monday urged the public to improve social behavior as the country gears towards a ‘new normal’ situation to fight the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).

“Pinaka-bottomline talaga dito, ‘yung pagsunod ng ating mga kababayan. ‘Yung tinatawag nating social behavior na ready na tayo na kahit walang GCQ (general community quarantine) o kaya naibaba ang ECQ (enhanced community quarantine) to GCQ, gagawin mo naman yung personal role o part mo. (Ito) ‘yung physical distancing, pagsusuot ng face mask at saka bottomline dyan, stay at home kung wala kang gagawing importante sa labas [The bottomline here is the public’s compliance. This is what we call compliance with social behavior that even without GCQ or ECQ is lowered to GCQ, you will do your personal role or part. This includes physical distancing, wearing face masks and the bottomline is that you should stay at home if don’t have anything essential to do outside],” Año said during a Laging Handa briefing on state-run PTV-4.

Año added that a ‘localized ECQ’ is possible after May 15.

“Pwede rin kasi sa pagdating ng May 16, pupunta na tayo sa localized ECQ na pwedeng hindi na buong probinsya. Pupunta na tayo sa mga barangay, munisipalidad, component city na ‘yun na ang ma-lockdown natin [It is also likely that on May 16, we will proceed to a localized ECQ. This means we will just implement a lockdown in villages, municipalities, component cities and not the whole province anymore],” he added.

Año said the aim of ECQ is to lower the death rate and the doubling of cases in the areas.

Such type of ECQ would consolidate the resources and intervene in the cases in the said areas.

He also advised the public to do away with the mindset of roaming in malls once GCQ is implemented in some areas.

“(We still have) community quarantine pa rin. Our safety and our way of dealing with the pandemic is up to all of us, our individual actions,” he added.

The GCQ, which is less stringent than the ECQ, was implemented in some areas starting May 1.

The ECQ was extended until May 15 in Metro Manila and some ‘high risk’ areas in the country.