Putting NCR under ECQ ‘preemptive response’ to Delta threat

MANILA – An infectious disease expert said Friday putting the National Capital Region (NCR) under the strictest enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) is a preemptive response to the highly transmissible Delta variant threat.

In a Facebook post on Friday, Dr. Edsel Salvaña, a member of the technical advisory group of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID), said data experts have made “intricate models” on the latest Delta variant spread based on fresh genome data.

“Based on these models, the downstream effect of Delta was such that some sort of lockdown was inevitable if we wished to avoid the fates of Malaysia and Indonesia,” Salvaña said.

To avoid such a scenario, he said the IATF-EID made its decision to impose ECQ across NCR from August 6 to 20 and to “vaccinate like crazy” during the same period to arrest the possible rise in cases fueled by the Delta variant.

“This is an unprecedented escalation because it is not within our usual metrics. This is a preemptive response to Delta and is premised on an accelerated vaccination program to get as many people vaccinated as possible,” Salvaña said.

“The IATF made the decision to lock down in order to give time to increase vaccination and delay the spread of Delta. They did this with eyes wide open on the drastic economic implications. As for the timing, the cases and healthcare capacity still remain manageable and so the experts felt there was still time to prepare the public,” he added.

He noted that the metrics for Metro Manila are still consistent for a general community quarantine (GCQ) with heightened restrictions and that the decision to escalate to ECQ was made based on the appeals of local government units (LGUs).

“Appeals by LGUs are always entertained, and so the mayors, having seen some clusters on the ground wanted to escalate,” Salvaña said.

As of July 30, the Philippines has recorded a total of 216 Delta variant cases. While health authorities said there is no community transmission yet of the Delta variant, local transmission has been confirmed. 

READ: No community transmission yet of Delta variant in PH: Duque

In a separate statement, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and concurrent Metro Manila Council Chair (MMC) Chair Benjamin “Benhur” Abalos Jr. thanked the IATF-EID for its “prompt and appropriate action”.

“The imposition of this quarantine classification is timely, thanks to the national government for granting our request,” Abalos said.

He said the MMC—mainly composed of the 17 mayors in the NCR—will again meet to discuss the “necessary course of actions” to further prevent and ease the spread of the Delta variant within the two-week ECQ period.

“Metro Manila LGUs shall intensify their vaccination programs, inoculating as many as possible daily, to achieve population protection the soonest possible time in the NCR, it being the center of the pandemic,” Abalos said.

Earlier, Malacañang said NCR will stay under GCQ with heightened restrictions from July 30 to August 5 and will shift to ECQ from August 6 to 20.

Under ECQ status, more restrictions will be placed in NCR such as restricting dine-in and alfresco dining in food establishments, limiting seating capacity in personal care services like beauty salons, and barring the operation of indoor sports courts and indoor tourist attractions.