As of August 2, 2020, 11:00 PM, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte addressed the nation through a recorded speech to provide updates on the COVID-19 situation and address the concerns of healthcare workers. Below are the highlights of the briefing:
- Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Francisco Duque III gave updates on COVID-19 cases as of August 2, 2020.
- There were 5,032 new cases, 301 recoveries, and 20 deaths reported on August 2. Active cases are currently at 35,569.
- Duque shared that the trend of confirmed COVID-19 cases among health workers is now decreasing, from 20% last April to 5.3% now.
- Sec. Duque also shared that he and other Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) principals had a discussion with medical societies after their press conference that called for the imposition of enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) for two weeks. The concerns of these medical societies are as follows:
- The lack of people in the healthcare workforce as some are getting sick, while some are resigning.
- Over reliance on antibody tests, which miss out on around 50% of positive cases.
- Lack of proper contact tracing and quarantine facilities, especially when it comes to cascading guidelines on the local government level.
- Lack of transportation for healthcare workers.
- The need for DOH, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), and Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to issue clear advisories to companies to ensure that minimum health standards are being followed.
- The opening of non-essential industries such as gym facilities, review centers, and pet grooming services, among others.
- Sec. Duque shared the government’s seven-point response or recommendation to address these issues presented by healthcare workers:
- Hiring additional healthcare workers and creating a healthcare worker reserve, as well as entering a memorandum of agreement with private hospitals until 2020.
- Giving healthcare workers additional benefits, such as Php 10,000 risk allowance for private sector healthcare workers, free life insurance, and free and frequent COVID-19 testing. Duque said that this also includes free accommodation and transportation for healthcare workers, which the DOH has started implementing already.
- Using work and quarantine passes to minimize the movement of people.
- Better implementation of the government’s localized lockdown strategy and Oplan Kalinga with the help of LGUs and COVID-19 CODE teams.
- Intensifying the strict enforcement of guidelines on minimum health standards, and giving 20 million cloth masks to the underprivileged sector.
- Using RT-PCR as the gold standard for detecting COVID-19 cases.
- Going back to modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) from August 4 to August 18.
- PRRD approved the recommendation for NCR, Laguna, Rizal, Cavite and Bulacan to be put under the MECQ.
- PRRD acknowledged that the government is aware of the hardships of health workers, as they are tired and are also scared of catching COVID-19 themselves. PRRD also emphasized that he greatly appreciates the healthcare workers’ hard work.
- PRRD said that the inclusion of the healthcare workers’ additional benefits is being strongly recommended for the Bayanihan Act 2.
- Sec. Duque clarified that those with mild symptoms of COVID-19 and those who are asymptomatic are classified as recovered 14 days after they started quarantine from the onset of their illness. This is in line with what the World Health Organization (WHO) has said about patients who are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms usually recover after around 10 days.
- PRRD stressed that the government is doing its best when it comes to allocating the budget and having LGUs implement localized lockdowns.
- PRRD expressed that he wants graft and corruption stopped, and warned city councils and barangay captains against doing anything that would fall under this.
- Presidential Adviser on Peace Process and NTF COVID-19 Chief Implementor Carlito Galvez Jr. shared that COVID-19 has a psychological effect on health workers.
- Sec. Galvez recommended that infected health workers with mild symptoms should be given Php 10,000.
- DND Secretary Delfin Lorenzana proposed calling medical reservists to active duty for a period of two years to serve with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). This is in line with PRRD’s request to assemble nurses who enlisted in the AFP and Philippine National Police (PNP).
- PRRD expressed his understanding to why healthcare workers would call for Mega Manila to go back to ECQ, and assured them that the government won’t leave them behind during this pandemic.
- PRRD also assured the public that the government is doing its best to assist healthcare workers and to enhance the country’s healthcare system.
- PRRD reminded the public to stay at home as much as possible, especially if they’re leaving their homes for non-essential reasons.
DOH Advisory
As of August 2, 2020, 4:00 PM, the Department of Health (DOH) reported 5,032 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total to 103,185 confirmed COVID-19 cases. The DOH also recorded new recoveries at 301, bringing the total number of recoveries to 65,557, while 20 more died, raising the death toll to 2,059.
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