MANILA – The COVID-19 situation of the Philippines would be as dire as the one in India without the reimposition of the hardest lockdown measures in the National Capital Region, a government official told lawmakers Wednesday.

“Ang nakita natin dito is, if we will not declare ECQ (enhanced community quarantine) sa NCR, we will be next India,” COVID-19 National Task Force Chief Implementer Carlito Galvez, Jr. said.

India saw a rapid rise in coronavirus infections due to its more highly transmissible Delta variant.

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Galvez stressed the need to disrupt the spread of the virus in order to ensure the country’s economic growth towards the end of the year.

"We consulted also the business sector. Sabi nila, if we do not do something to disrupt the transmission, we will not be able to recover anymore during 4th quarter” he said.

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Department of Health (DOH) Epidemiology Bureau Director Alethea de Guzman also told the House of Representatives Committee on Health that without the ECQ, COVID-19 active cases could breach half a million by the end of September.

She noted that the COVID-19 Delta variant is 60% more transmissible than the Alpha variant, which was first detected in the United Kingdom.

De Guzman also said that the impact of the Delta variant is already seen nationwide, with half of provinces and highly urbanized cities already showing increase in the number of cases and healthcare utilization rates. -- report from RG Cruz, ABS-CBN News

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