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'We need a timeout': OCTA Research backs 1-week ECQ extension in NCR Plus

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ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/news/03/31/20210329-covid19-ecq-checkpoint-batasan-md-9.jpg"/><figcaption>A police officer screens passing vehicles and pedestrians at a checkpoint bordering San Mateo in Rizal and Batasan Hills in Quezon City on March 29, 2021, as &quot;NCR Plus&quot; is placed under enhanced community quarantine from March 29 until April 4. <em>Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA - A public health expert said Wednesday he supports the call to extend the enhanced community quarantine in Metro Manila and 4 surrounding provinces to curb fresh COVID-19 outbreaks that were placing strain on the country&#x27;s health care and contact tracing systems.</p><p>&quot;We need a timeout to refresh our contact tracing [and] to build new isolation and quarantine facilities. This will allow us to exit the lockdown with decreasing but still high numbers that we can manage properly without risking another surge,&quot; Fr. Nicanor Austriaco of OCTA Research Team told ANC.</p><p>Hospitals in the capital region and the provinces of Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/27/21/healthcare-utilization-rate-in-ncr-plus-in-critical-level-amid-covid-19-says-roque">have reached critical level in COVID-19 bed occupancy</a>.</p><p>On Monday, the country&#x27;s daily coronavirus infections hit another record high after it <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/29/21/highest-ever-philippines-logs-10016-new-covid-19-cases">passed 10,000 for the first time</a> since the pandemic began. The Philippines has <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/30/21/ph-logs-more-than-9000-addl-covid-19-cases-for-5th-straight-day-highest-number-of-active-cases">124,680 active cases</a> or patients deemed infectious, the highest among Southeast Asian nations.</p><p>For the molecular biologist, it would take another week to see the full effect of the renewed hard lockdown measure in the country&#x27;s case count and health-care utilization rate. The ECQ took effect on March 29 and will end on April 4.</p><p>&quot;We, my colleagues and I in OCTA, are in support of the other experts who would like the government to extend this for at least 1 more week because it will take 14 days to starve the virus from new victims by isolating people from each other,&quot; added Austriaco, who teaches biology and theology at the Providence College in the US. </p><p>Due to sheer volume of fresh infections, the country&#x27;s contact tracing system has also collapsed, he said, quoting contact tracing czar Benjamin Magalong.</p><p>An extension of ECQ, the strictest in the country&#x27;s 4 levels of lockdown measure, will decrease infection rate as it further limits people&#x27;s movement amid the presence of more infectious coronavirus variants, he added.</p><p>The Department of Health on Tuesday recommends an extension of ECQ in the so-called &quot;NCR Plus&quot; to battle the outbreak, which has killed more than 13,000 people.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/30/21/doh-backs-extension-of-ecq-in-metro-manila4-provinces-for-1-more-week">DOH backs extension of ECQ in Metro Manila, 4 provinces for 1 more week</a></li></ul><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=1651382" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>

<p>A public health expert said Wednesday he supports call to extend the enhanced community quarantine in Metro Manila and 4 surrounding provinces to curb fresh COVID-19 outbreaks that were placing strain on the country's health care and contact tracing systems.</p>

A public health expert said Wednesday he supports call to extend the enhanced community quarantine in Metro Manila and 4 surrounding provinces to curb fresh COVID-19 outbreaks that were placing strain on the country's health care and contact tracing systems.