Commentary: The Philippines hopes lockdown buys time after half-hearted attempts at tackling COVID-19

Experts from the University of the Philippines say the tough restrictions will ease transmission but rolling out such stringent lockdown measures this late in the game means the country cannot run away from millions of job losses.

Just two months ago, financial advisers close to Mr Duterte claimed the pandemic threatened to paralyse businesses and households, after the worst ever plunge in economic activity in the last 22 years.The country’s gross domestic product contracted 0.2 per cent in the first quarter of the year, from 6.7 per cent growth registered in the last quarter of 2019, and 5.6 percent in the first quarter last year.

Worse, the response from the top office in the land has been less than stellar. In his late-night public address on Sunday, Mr Duterte recommended people disinfect their face masks with petrol, even clarifying that he was not joking.This idea was immediately debunked by scores of medical experts, including those from Integrated Chemists of the Philippines.

Stranded workers wait for shuttle services on the first day of the government's re-implementation of a stricter lockdown to curb COVID-19 infections in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines, Aug 4, 2020. In the next two weeks, the state will also tap medical teams from areas with fewer cases and deploy them to hospitals in the Manila area to provide frontliners there with respite after nearly five months of treating thousands of patients.

The Philippine government must also improve the management of COVID-19 cases, not only in testing and contact-tracing, but also in tracking and helping individuals returning to the countryside, and monitoring the challenges hospitals and frontline healthcare staff face.A nurse gets a swab from a man under observation for coronavirus disease in a booth set up in a hospital parking lot in Manila, Philippines, April 15, 2020.

Singapore Latest News, Singapore Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

Broke and helpless: Philippines COVID-19 lockdown maroons dozens at airportBroke and jobless, Ruel Damaso is sleeping on cardboard and surviving on food handouts at Manila airport where dozens were left stranded after a ...
Source: ChannelNewsAsia - 🏆 6. / 66 Read more »

Commentary: COVID-19 is leaving India hungry in more ways than oneMany are faced with the cruel trade-off between defying the lockdown and catching the virus, or remaining at home and seeing their scanty food ...
Source: ChannelNewsAsia - 🏆 6. / 66 Read more »

Commentary: Two critical weeks in Australian Victorian state and Melbourne's COVID-19 fightPrevious restrictions in the Australian state of Victoria have not managed to curb the daily number of cases, say observers.
Source: ChannelNewsAsia - 🏆 6. / 66 Read more »

Philippines reports 6,352 new COVID-19 cases, Southeast Asia's biggest daily jumpThe Philippines reported 6,352 new coronavirus infections on Tuesday (Aug 4), marking the biggest daily jump in cases in Southeast Asia.
Source: ChannelNewsAsia - 🏆 6. / 66 Read more »

Philippines confirms 3,462 new COVID-19 cases, 9 deathsThe Philippines' health ministry on Wednesday reported 3,462 new coronavirus infections and nine additional deaths.
Source: ChannelNewsAsia - 🏆 6. / 66 Read more »

COVID-19: Trickle of British tourists dashes Cyprus tourism hopesThe holiday island of Cyprus had hoped British tourists would give a badly-needed boost to its pandemic-hit tourism sector, but only a trickle of ...
Source: ChannelNewsAsia - 🏆 6. / 66 Read more »