Strictly observe minimum health protocols to fight COVID-19, President Duterte reminds public
President Rodrigo Roa Duterte on Monday, March 8, has urged the public to vigilantly follow health protocols such as wearing face masks, frequent handwashing, and observing physical distancing to stem the rising coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases in the country.
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President Rodrigo Roa Duterte talks to the people after holding a meeting with the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) core members at the Arcadia Active Lifestyle Center in Matina, Davao City on March 8, 2021. RICHARD MADELO/ PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO
“Iyan lang ang payo namin sa inyo. Maniwala kayo sa gobyerno, sumunod lang kayo,” President Duterte said in his weekly address to the nation.
“Sana, sana kung makatulong lang kayo
sa bayan, sumunod lang kayo at medyo mapababa natin ang kaso ng COVID.”
Reducing the rate of infection will
help the government “effectively combat” emerging COVID-19 variants, President
Duterte said.
Enforcing the law, he said, is also
crucial in managing the pandemic especially “for those who do not believe” as
well as citizens “avoiding social distancing".
The President also underscored the
important role of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) in
government’s pandemic response, noting it is crucial for the country’s welfare that
the DILG “plays its role".
In particular, President Duterte
pointed out the participation of the barangays as the government unit that can
best address coronavirus infections in the country through strict enforcement
of health protocols in their respective localities.
The dedication of local chieftains in
the government’s coronavirus fight is crucial in protecting public health, the
chief executive said.
“Ang barangay ang pinakaimportante sa
lahat and kung talagang ginusto ng lahat ng mga barangay captains na
magtrabaho, really work at it, baka talagang ma --- well, decrease the number
of transition,” he said.
Barangay captains and other local
leaders should also have the “political will” to see to it that their
constituents get vaccinated against COVID-19, he noted.
The Department of Health (DOH) has
recorded 3,356 new infections on March 8, bringing the total number of COVID-19
cases in the country to 597,763 with 545,912 recoveries and 12,521 deaths.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III
has reported the spiking number of cases in Calabarzon, Central Luzon, Central
Visayas, and National Capital Region (NCR).
The NCR recorded high two-week growth
rate, Duque said, adding those in the critical risk are Pasay City and Malabon
City while those in the high-risk level are the cities of Navotas, Makati and
San Juan.
The health chief also assured that
although there is a rising number of infections in those areas, the government
is doing everything to ensure that hospitals have the capability to threat
individuals infected by the virus. PND
