PH reproductive rates tallies less than 1%, improving in COVID war—DILG

After 8 months of battling COVID-19, the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) reported that the Philippines is currently improving in combatting the pandemic, as the reproductive numbers are tallied less than the target.

In an online press briefing, DILG Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya reported that the reproductivity number in the country tallied to 0.88 percent, less than 1 percent than the target.

DILG Usec. Malaya also announced the National Capital Region's (NCR) reproductive and positivity rates tallying to 0.75 and 8 percent, respectively, adding up to the average COVID cases in the area with less than a thousand cases per day.

"So, in the past two weeks, based on the official data coming from the Department of Health, and validated by the Octa Research Group, the situation in the National Capital Region has been improving," Malaya noted.

Due to these improvements, the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) announced the quarantine protocol easings and restrictions through Resolution No. 79 that people 15 to 65 years old are now permitted to go outside with compliance to minimum health standards.

However, the age limit may still vary in some cities whatever local government units (LGUs) impose depending on the COVID situation in their respective areas.

Following the new age limit, the IATF also publicized in their resolution the easing of curfews from 12am-4am, opening limited face-to-face classes in colleges, reinforcing foreign travel, and even within the country between Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ) and General Community Quarantine (GCQ) areas for any reason.

The resolution also allowed opening malls, concerts, sport events, religious work activities in MGCQ areas with 50% venue capacity starting on Oct. 21.

Adding up to the good news, Malaya also warned the public about the importance of complying to the minimum health standards, as a survey by Polls Asia tallied that, though 97 percent of Filipinos are concerned about COVID-19, 71 percent washes their hands, 55 percent uses face masks, 33 percent are distancing physically, and over 0.1 percent uses face shields.

"In other words, marami pa po tayong kailangang gawin upang ang ating mga kababayan ay sumunod sa mga minimum health standards ngayong nagbubukas tayo ngayon ng ating ekonomiya," Malaya warned.

"Nababahala po ang Department of Interior and Local Government sa resulta ng ganitong survey. Kaya humihingi po kami ng suporta at pag-unawa at ng kooperasyon ng publiko na para po matapos na natin itong COVID-19 na nagbigay ng napakalaking problema sa ating bansa," he added.

Amid talks about the continuous COVID cases in the country, the undersecretary stressed that the curve has been flattened a long time ago, and promoted the compliance of the public to the health standards, as he claimed that we are one of the few countries with a decreasing trend.

"Tignan po natin ang nangyari sa Amerika, dahil wala po silang polisiya sa face masks, hanggang ngayon, sila ay nagkakaroon ng pagtaas sa numero ng COVID-19 [cases],ganoon din sa Europa, ganoon din sa ibang mga bansa, sa India, sa Latin America," Malaya explained.

Malaya also told the Filipinos to be patient on the vaccine, which he announced will probably be released in the first quarter of next year.

"Kahit nai-dispatya ng DILG ang 200 libong pulis sa lahat ng kalsada, hindi po natin mababantayan ang bawat pamilya, hindi natin mababantayan ang bawat bahay," he stated.

"The frontline in the fight against the COVID-19 is not in the hospitals. The frontline in the fight against the COVID-19 is in the homes, where the parents and the children play a very important role in defeating this global pandemic," he added.