By The SUN
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| ECQ lockdown in Metro Manila, 4 provinces extended to Apr 11 (Inquirer photo) |
Metro Manila and its four adjacent provinces –
Bulacan, Rizal, Cavite and Laguna – will remain under lockdown for at least another
week under the government’s enhanced community quarantine scheme which is supposed
to end Sunday, Apr. 4.
According to Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque,
the quarantine restrictions in the area designated as “NCR (National Capital
Region) Plus” will now last until Apr 11.
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“Nagrekomenda po
ang inyong IATF na pahabain pa ang ECQ ng minimum na isang linggo sa buong
Metro Manila at mga probinsya ng Laguna, Bulacan, Cavite at Rizal,” Roque
said over the government-run PTV 4. (IATF has recommended extending the ECQ for
a minimum of one week in Metro Manila and provinces of Laguna, Bulacan, Cavite
and Rizal.)
Roque also said that President Rodrigo Duterte has
approved the extension of the ECQ.
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He made the announcement as the Philippines’ active coronavirus cases roses to a record high 165,715 with 12,276 new infections being recorded Saturday.
The additional cases brought the country’s total tally
to 784,403. This was despite seven laboratories failing to submit their data on
time.
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However, most or 96.5 percent of the confirmed patients
only have mild symptoms, 2.2 percent are asymptomatic, 0.5 percent are severe
and 0.30 percent are moderate.
According to Roque government will intensify its
program of detecting and isolating patients during the extended lockdown.
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“Kinakailangang
paigtingin po yung ating tinatawag na PDITR o yung ating prevention, detection,
isolation, tracing at reintegration at dahil dito po, nirereequire po natin
ngayon na magkaron ng daily monitoring ang lokal na pamahalaan, ang ating mga
NTF czars para po malaman natin kung ano ang resulta ng pinaigting na PDITR,”
he said. (We need to intensify what we call PDITR and because of this, we are
requiring our local government and NTF czars to do a daily monitoring to see
the results of the intensified PDITR.)
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As part of this strategy, officials will reportedly go
door to door to locate those infected and subject them to testing and isolation
if necessary.
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| Nearly all hospitals in Metro Manila have run out of beds for Covid-19 patients (Inquirer) |
Meanwhile, the continuing surge in infections has led
to most hospitals in Metro Manila running out of space for Covid-19 patients. News
reports show sick patients being turned away from hospitals because of lack of
space.
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At hospitals like the Lung Center of the Philippines in Quezon City which has been designated as a Covid-19 treatment facility, dozens of vehicles are lined up outside, all waiting for the chance to get their sick passengers admitted.
The spillover from the capital has reportedly affected
hospitals in provinces hundreds of kilometers away like Batangas, where health
officials are planning to set up tents for patients waiting for admission.
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| Tunghayan ang isa na namang kwentong |
There is also a plan to convert the Southern Tagalog
Regional Hospital in Bacoor City, Cavite, to cater exclusively to Covid-19
patients.
In response to the emergency, Malacanang said 110 beds will be set up at Quezon Institute in Quezozn City for Covid-19 patients with moderate to severe symptoms.
At least one hospital, the National Orthopedic Center
in Quezon City, has also been hit with a cluster of cases, with 117 of its
health care personnel coming down with the virus.
The hospital has stopped its face-to-face outpatient
services as a result, but says it will continue accepting emergency cases.
