Coronavirus is spreading like wildfire. I myself have been blindsided by the surge of COVID-19 cases and mortalities crippling not only the Philippines but the entire world. As of this writing, positive cases in the Philippines have gone up to 2,633, 107 of which had succumbed to COVID-19, unfortunately. With these figures rising rapidly every day, my gut is telling me that this battle against coronavirus is far from being over. As much as I want to sound hopeful, truth is, figures don’t lie. Do they?
In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, Philippine government has placed the entire Luzon under enhanced community quarantine, shutting down practically everything. Schools, businesses, companies, even public transport have been paralyzed in a bid to contain the spread of this deadly virus.
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| Credits to: Department of Health Facebook Page |
Lockdown
Lockdown is a rather obvious solution to any pandemic. It doesn’t take a genius to come up with a remedy like that given the circumstances and to me it’s totally understandable. Having a break from the hustle and bustle of the city somehow lessens our exposure to the virus. Needless to say, with most people staying at home, the transmission of the COVID-19 coronavirus is either slowed down or even curbed.
It’s certainly surreal to see how non-existent the traffic is in Metro Manila, with only private vehicles allowed on the road, most shops either closed or closing down early, no blaring of loud sirens, no honking of those deafening horns. From my standpoint, it certainly looks peaceful yet so frightening at the same time. My husband and I are alive and well, so are our families which is all that matters to us right now, really. But I can’t help but worry about our fronliners risking their own lives to save other people’s lives, our “no-work-no-pay” private sector workers whose lives hinge on the availability of work, and of course our unsheltered homeless Filipinos lying around unprotected. As an ordinary citizen confined at home with meager resources, I guess the least thing I can do is to obey the rules set by the government as I want to be part of the solution and not the problem. I’d rather stay at home, take good care of myself and my family and save hospital space for people who need it more -- the elderly and high risk groups.
The people
People breaching quarantine protocols is another obvious problem. I would understand if you’re a “no-work-no-pay” worker busting your ass on the street, earning money to feed your family. But if you’re not, man you’re just plain stupid. Please excuse my language but I simply cannot think of a better word. The Philippines clearly doesn’t have the luxury of hospital space and funds to accommodate every sick patient in the country but there you are, playing dumb, putting yourself at risk of getting infected. Well, if you're on a suicide mission, do it someplace else that doesn't involve other people! No wonder why the numbers keep on surging. It's the lack of self-discipline and complacency. I’m also sick and tired of hearing people whining about every dang move the government is doing. Can’t we, at least for once put our political ideologies aside and unite as one? Mind you, it's COVID-19 we're trying to combat here, NOT the government. If it hasn’t occurred to you yet, well lemme tell you we’re in a deep shit and it’s time to pitch in the spirit of “bayanihan" once and for all. Time to wake up, folks. It could be a ticking time-bomb for the Philippines.
Written by superpinay
