MANILA - Interior Secretary Eduardo Año on Sunday said it would be better to extend Luzon's lockdown until the number of COVID-19 infections in the country has declined.
Año, who is on self-quarantine after testing positive for the novel coronavirus, said the government's inter-agency task force handling the pandemic will meet Monday afternoon to decide whether it will recommend the lifting or extension of the enhanced community quarantine to President Rodrigo Duterte.
"As far as I am concerned, I think it’s better to continue the lockdown until we have flattened the curve so we will not have any relapse," he told ANC.
Año said initial projections point to June or July as when the peak of the pandemic in the country will be observed, with the number of infection at 30,000.
"If we did not do the lockdown, the projection would be about 20,000 plus by now," he said.
The Philippines on Saturday recorded 76 cases of the respiratory illness, its lowest number of new cases on a daily basis since March 26, bringing the total to 3,094. Fifty-seven patients have so far recovered, while 144 have died.
The Department of Health said it was "too early" to tell if the pandemic curve has flattened already in the country.
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