Galvez notes continuous decline in NCR Covid-19 cases

FILE: Cyclists, motorcycle riders, and a woman in an electric scooter stay on their lanes as they ply along Aurora Boulevard cor. Katipunan Avenue in Quezon CitY. (PNA photo by Rico H. Borja)

MANILA – The coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) cases within the National Capital Region (NCR) is on a continuous decline, the chief implementer of the National Policy Against Covid-19 said on Friday.

“Nakita po natin na talagang dito sa NCR po ay talagang na-stabilize po natin (We have seen that NCR is stabilizing),” Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. said during the Laging Handa virtual briefing. “Nakita po natin na since noong August na talagang nag-peak ang NCR na more or less more than 20,000 ang kanilang active cases. Sa ngayon po ay natutuwa po ako at iyong data po natin ay pababa nang pababa (We have seen that since August the cases peaked in NCR with more or less 20,000 active cases. So far, we are happy as the cases are declining),” he added.

He said there are only 4,106 active cases in the entire Metro Manila, while the cases in Central Luzon and Calabarzon are also decreasing.

However, Galvez said Covid-19 cases in some Mindanao areas have been reportedly increasing.

With the continuous Covid-19 cases in Metro Manila on a downtrend, Galvez urged the public not to be complacent especially in the coming holiday season.

“We have to establish opening up the economy, but with much caution,” he said.

Galvez also backed the recommendation of the Metro Manila mayors to the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) to sustain the general community quarantine (GCQ) status within the NCR until December.

“Binibigyan po natin ng tinatawag na leeway or flexibility or adaptability ang ating mga mayors at ang ating business sector, para ang mangyari po magtutulungan po sila, so, 100 percent po ako na sumusuporta po ako doon (We are giving the mayors and our business sector the leeway or flexibility or adaptability while we help them, so I’m hundred percent supporting it),” Galvez said.