Gov't looking at localized reopening of economy after April 30 lockdown lapse: Leachon

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MANILA - An adviser to the Inter-Agency Task Force on COVID-19 said on Tuesday that the government is studying the possibility of easing or lifting lockdowns in some areas to restart the economy while addressing the pandemic.

"What happens after April 30 there will be a rolling restarting of the economy," said Dr. Tony Leachon.

He said the National Task Force on COVID-19 response is in discussions on possible recommendations after the enhanced community quarantine set to lapse at the end of the month.

Aside from restarting the economy, Leachon said two other options are: extending the lockdown by about 15 days or maintaining the status quo.

• Gov't eyeing 'selective quarantine' if COVID-19 parameters met: task force chief

“The recommendation for a win-win situation, because we think the economy will not endure so much from this extension, is for a rolling or a localized opening of the economy but based on 2 metrics,” Leachon said on ANC.

Decisions on whether to ease or lift the lockdown depend on the epidemiological or medical and health care capacity which Leachon referred to as metrics of success.

"You need to understand the number of cases, if there are more deaths, less recovery, doubling time is short. The other important thing is the health care capacity. Do you have the testing centers, do you have the testing kits with you in that locality? Do you have the human resources with you? Do you have the funding for that? Do you have COVID hospitals ready or without COVID hospitals, do you have an isolated [area] in the hospital with the human resources to address this?" he said.

He added, “Now if you don’t have that you might be on a rolling reopening… For example, the first one to have a major change is Valenzuela. They have everything already, and then I think Pasig City and then (Cavite) Gov. Jonvic Remulla.”

Areas will be selected based on their performance level, health measures and health care infrastructure capacity.

“Then you have to select the local government units based on the metrics said, based on the viral spread, new cases, deaths, recoveries, the testing capacity and healthcare capacities, the human resources,” he said.

The government extended the enhanced community quarantine from the initially set end date on April 12 to April 30 in hopes of effectively stopping the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

“I think with the ECQ, though not shown right now the epidemiological curve, I think we are plateauing or going down," he said, citing data from the Johns Hopkins website.

Leachon believes that the lockdown has helped in slowing down the spread of COVID-19.

“I’m positive that the ECQ has made an effect and then we already have the testing kits like in South Korea, we have the infrastructures already, the PPEs are coming. I think we are ready, but you need to decide right away so that on April 30 the people are ready,” he said.

President Rodrigo Duterte late Monday said that he was likely to lift the lockdown in Luzon as planned if the country can get an antibody treatment for COVID-19.

• Duterte says likely to lift Luzon lockdown if PH gets antibody treatment vs COVID-19

There are two types of antibodies associated with the COVID-19 immune response: Immunoglobulin M (IgM), which the body produces in the early stages of viral response, and Immunoglobulin G (IgG), which comes later on during infection.

“'Pag nagkasakit ka nagde-develop ka ng antibodies doon para maprotektahan ka,” Leachon explained. "Since virus na ito bago hindi alam ang behavior nito."

(When you get sick you develop antibodies for it to protect you. Since this is a new virus, we still don't know its behavior.)

The Philippine General Hospital earlier issued a call for COVID-19 survivors to donate blood or plasma. Plasma from donors, who will go through thorough screening, will be used to help treat patients with severe and critical symptoms of COVID-19.