MANILA, Philippines — Lockdowns are not enough to fight surges in COVID-19 cases, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said in a taped briefing with President Rodrigo Duterte that aired Wednesday night.
“We need to implement long-term moves or actions so that we will be more prepared for a possible surge [in COVID-19 cases] and for other pandemics that may come,” Duque said in Filipino.
“We have seen that, despite the decrease in the number of cases whenever we implement an enhanced community quarantine, this has a big negative effect on our economy and the livelihood of our countrymen,” he added.
Among the long-term programs that Duque mentioned were heightened contact tr…
Keep on reading: Long-term programs, not just lockdowns, needed to fight COVID-19 surges – Duque