By Neil Jerome Morales
MANILA (Reuters) – A wider exclusion in the Philippines can not be ruled out if the increase in COVID-19 infections continues, his health minister said on Wednesday when authorities announced strict controls on international arrivals to spread the virus to arrest virus.
The government is once again being criticized for dealing with the epidemic following a jump in coronavirus cases – nearly 20,000 in the last four days – a year after imposing one of the world’s toughest and longest barriers.
Officials attribute the increase to the easing of some mobility restrictions to enable people to return to work and revive the economy following a 9.5% contraction last year, the biggest economic downturn in Southeast Asia.
“If nothing changes and things continue to increase, the possibility of a wider exclusion is strong,” health secretary Francisco Duque told the ANC news channel. He hopes it can be repelled in the coming days.
Although some curbs have been facilitated, there have been many restrictions for a year, including indirect movement and the closure of schools.
The Philippines recorded a total of 631,320 infections and 12,848 deaths.
From March 20, foreigners and some returning citizens will be banned from the country, the Coronavirus task force said late Tuesday.
Accredited foreign government officials, returning Filipino workers and emergencies will be released. It also limited the maximum arrivals of 1,500 per day at the main airport.
The main region, home to at least 13 million people, has set a two-week curfew and ordered anyone under 18 to stay indoors.
Several Manila hospitals have sounded the alarm because critical care facilities are close to capacity, although health authorities say they can fix it.
Many experts believe that all sectors are to blame for the rise.
“We must be humble enough to acknowledge that we have all failed in so many respects in terms of our preventive measures at the personal and institutional level,” Aileen Espina, a public health specialist, told the ANC.
(Reported by Neil Jerome Morales; Edited by Ed Davies, Martin Petty)