The 6-week modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) backed with strengthened coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) response might bring the active infections in Metro Manila lower by the end of September, the Department of Health (DOH) said Monday.
According to the latest projections of the DOH and modeling tool FASSSTER, Metro Manila could face the following instances:
- 2-week ECQ followed by 4-week MECQ combined with the current levels of vaccination, case isolation, and compliance to health protocols = 66,403 cases by August 31 and 269,694 cases by September 30
- 6-week ECQ combined with the current COVID-19 response = 71,255 cases by August 31 and 330,079 cases by September 30
- 6-week ECQ combined with an improved COVID-19 response = 83,921 cases by August 31 and 152,776 cases by September 30
- 4-week MECQ followed by 2-week GCQ combined with an improved COVID-19 response = 83,921 cases by August 31 and 158,489 cases by September 30
However, the health department noted that these projections are not final.
“The latest projections suggest that the best-case scenario or the least number of active cases in the NCR is seen when there is an improvement in the vaccination, shortening the interval between symptom onset and isolation to at most six days, and compliance to the minimum public health standards (MPHS),” it said.
“We can further lower down the projected active cases in NCR if there is improved adherence to MPHS, better case detection to isolation time, and increased vaccination coverage,” it added.
The country’s capital region, Metro Manila, was placed under ECQ, the strictest lockdown status, from August 6 to 20. The government later downgraded it to MECQ along with Laguna on August 21. Ronald Espartinez