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Roque rules out MECQ extension despite extension of 'ayuda' distribution until May 15
Roque rules out MECQ extension despite extension of 'ayuda' distribution until May 15
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque hinted that the moderate enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) imposed in the National Capital Region Plus (NCR Plus) bubble might not be extended beyond April 30 even as the cash aid distribution by the government will last until May 15.
(YANCY LIM / PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO / FILE PHOTO)
The extension of the distribution of aid arose out of the need to decongest the lines of those waiting for their ‘ayuda’ or cash aid.
“Talagang mahirap po sa pandemya na magbigay ng cash assistance dahil iniiwasan natin ang pagtitipon-tipon (Distributing cash assistance during the pandemic is hard because we are trying to avoid gatherings),” Roque said in his virtual briefer Thursday, April 22.
He clarified his earlier remark when he lamented the slow roll of the cash aid distribution, adding that he’s not blaming the local government units (LGUs) that were given the task.
“Wala pong sisihan yan (I am not blaming anyone). It is a statement of fact lang na kapag naman dinamihan natin yun mga pagtitipon-tipon baka lalong magkasakit yun mga binibigyan ng ayuda (if we add more gatherings for the distribution, people who will receive their cash aid might just get sick even more),” the Palace official said.
Meanwhile, vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. remain hopeful that the government does not need to extend the MECQ classification in the region given the decline in the number of active cases in Metro Manila.
The OCTA Research Team said that the reproduction number of COVID-19 in NCR is now down to 1.01 from 1.90 before the implementation of enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in late March.
“We are very very happy. Hopefully, mapag-uusapan po namin sa IATF kung ano po ang next move natin,” Galvez said.
“Sinasabi nga po ni Secretary (Vince) Dizon based sa mga datos dun po tayo gagabayan kung ano po ang ating magiging quarantine control (we can talk about it in the IATF what our next move will be and Secretary Dizon is saying that we should base it on the data that will guide us what will be our quarantine control),” he added.
Galvez noted the number of COVID-19 cases went down because of the strict implementation of health standards.
“Ang ma-advise ko lang is ipagpatuloy lang po natin yun pag-implement ng health standard. At the same time yun aggressive testing saka iyong isolation at saka contract tracing ay talaga po nating paigtingin (My advise is to continue implementing the health standard. At the same time, we should do aggressive testing and isolation and contract tracing we should strengthen),” he said.
On Wednesday, the Department of Health (DOH) reported 9,227 cases with 116,434 active cases.