(Senate photo)
Senator Cynthia Villar told health professionals to improve their jobs instead of calling for Metro Manila to be placed back to an Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
Malacañang announced that the entire Metro Manila would still be under the General Community Quarantine status until August 15.
In an interview with DWIZ, Villar was asked her opinion of the call of medical professionals for a two-week Enhanced Community Quarantine in Metro Manila.
“Hindi na siguro, pagbutihin nila trabaho nila. Hindi pwedeng isara ang ekonomiya kasi kung di naman mamamatay sa Covid, mamamatay naman sa gutom ang tao,” Villar said.
“May time in our lives na ikaw talaga ang mapapagod. Iba-iba naman ang kalamidad. So itong kalamidad na ito ang mapapagod dito ang health frontliners natin. Iba iba ‘yan, but I guess we need to work hard,” the senator added.
Villar was also asked regarding the status of hospitals in Metro Manila amidst the continuous rise of Covid-19 infections.
“Konti lang kasi inilalagay nila for covid, kung 10% lang binigay mo madaling mapuno ‘yun. Magbibuild din ng facility ang government para sa asymptomatic,” she said.
The senator was firm on her stand that the country should remain under GCQ status to help the economy slowly recover from the effects of Covid-19.
“We have to live with Covid-19. Hindi natin pwedeng isara ang ekonomiya, kailangan pag-igihin ng DOH at iba pang agency ang kanilang hakbang. Pwede na ang parang lockdown. Kapag lockdown kasi magsa-suffer ang ekonomiya. I guess we have to live with Covid-19. Kaya nga ako namimigay ng tarp na nagpapaalala sa mga tao ng protocols, namimigay din ng mask. I guess we have to live with this and go on with our lives,” she explained.
Meanwhile, Villar’s latest statements put her in Twitter’s top trending topics in the Philippines.
Earlier on Saturday, a group of doctors requested the Duterte administration to place again the entire Metro Manila and nearby areas under ECQ for 2 weeks, to prevent the healthcare system from collapsing due to a surge in Covid-19 cases. (RJ Espartinez)