On March 15, 2020, community quarantine in Metro Manila was declared by the government in an effort to control the spread of the COVID-19 outbreak.
On March 16th, the community quarantine in Metro Manila was extended to the entirety of Luzon. The quarantine is to last about a few weeks month and will be lifted by April 14, 2020, and according to the proclamation.
With an estimated bout three weeks left in the community quarantine in Metro Manila and Luzon, it’s important to keep yourself informed about what the community quarantine entails, what limitations have been set in place, and how it aims works to slow down the spread of the virus is very important.
Here is everything you need to know about the community quarantine in Metro Manila.
Community Quarantine in Metro Manila: How it began
To put things into perspective, let us start with the first recorded case of coronavirus in the Philippines. The first recorded case of COVID-19 in the Philippines was from a 38-year-old Chinese woman who came from Wuhan, China, which was the epicenter of the pandemic.
According to the Department of Health (DOH), she arrived, along with her husband, in the Philippines on January 21, along with her husband.
The woman’s 44-year-old husband –the second case, and the first death outside China-was the woman’s 44-year-old husband who died as a result of severe pneumonia. Both of them were believed to have acquired the virus before arriving in the Philippines.
The first locally transmitted case was from a 62-year-old Filipino man who was diagnosed last March 6th. According to reports, he did not have any travel history from any countries with confirmed coronavirus cases, marking him as the first case of local transmission in the country.
It is important to note that being a “first case” does not mean that the virus initially came from that patient. It is very possible that someone else had infected the patient, and until now we do not have any complete information on who that person could be, or where any place that person might have visited.
After these initial cases, the number of confirmed COVID-19 patients started increasing, and now the Philippines currently has more than 7,000 confirmed cases. And the number is still expected to rise. It is also possible that there are even more unconfirmed cases as more people have yet to be tested for the virus.
This is why the government has decided to implement an enhanced community quarantine in the hopes of slowing down the spread of the virus.
What exactly is an enhanced community quarantine?
Based on the memorandum from the government regarding the quarantine, strict social distancing measures will be implemented by the government.
This includes the following restrictions:
- Classes and all school activities shall be put on hold.
- Any type of mass gathering will be prohibited.
- Households must practice strict home quarantine measures.
- Only establishments that provide basic necessities such as supermarkets, drug stores, groceries, convenience stores, hospitals, etc. shall remain open.
- Mass public transportation will be suspended for the duration of the quarantine.
- Land, air, and sea travel will be restricted.
What this means is that during the quarantine, the movement of people will be restricted. This is, in an attempt to prevent any further outbreaks.
Most companies have also either implemented a work-from-home policy or, have given their employees paid leave, (or in some cases unpaid leave) for the duration of the quarantine.
In some barangays, only one person from each household is designated to go out to buy supplies, or go on errands. A quarantine pass is required in these cases, and barangay officials, or the police may require the person to show their pass if they are found outside.
Of course, any social gatherings such as parties and Masses at church and other places of worship are also will also be prohibited, so no parties, no Masses at church and other places of worship.
Malls, supermarkets, and groceries that remain open, but also implement a strict social distancing policy has been implemented. People are asked to line up outside the store and must wait for their turn in order to limit the number of people inside.
For those who need to go out and get supplies, here’s a handy website that lists the locations of the checkpoints in Luzon. This should be helpful when planning your route.
All of these measures are deemed necessary, because Luzon has the largest population among the three island groups in the country. Having a larger population means that it will be more difficult to control outbreaks, and so these very stricter measures are needed to halt the spread of the disease to be implemented.
What potential effects can the quarantine have on mental health?
Staying at home for an entire month might sound relaxing for some. But for others, it is extremely difficult, and the stress, fear, and anxiety caused by the pandemic is compounded by the fact that people cannot go outside and, or their movements are restricted.
The quarantine can have a number of psychological effects, including the following:
- Widespread panic
- Stress of being at home
- Fear
- Anxiety
- Boredom
- Depression
People who are also diagnosed with mental health problems may find it even more difficult to handle their conditions, especially with the quarantine being implemented in place.
This is why it’s important to take the necessary steps in order to stay mentally strong during the community quarantine in Metro Manila. , and stay positive during the quarantine.
Here are some things that you can do to stay mentally strong and positive about it:
- Regulate your media consumption to avoid aggravating any feelings of fear, anger, or anxiety.
- Keep busy, and try to stick to a daily routine that you can stick to.
- Stay in touch Catch up with your friends and loved ones via mobile or other online platforms.
- Try to Catch up on some exercise.
- Try to sleep early, and get enough hours of rest. Avoid staying up late.
- Jot down your daily thoughts in a journal. Keep a journal to help organize your daily thoughts.
All of these things should help people deal better with being stuck at home during the enhanced community quarantine in Metro Manila and Luzon.
For those who need to go out and get supplies, here’s a handy website that lists the locations where most of the checkpoints are in Luzon. This should be helpful when planning your route.
The community quarantine in Metro Manila quarantine that the government implemented might seem like a very strict measure to contain the virus. However, this reality is that quarantine is necessary to better help control the spread of the virus and to prevent more cases of local transmission.
During this time of crisis, it’s best to follow the protocols set by the community quarantine in Metro Manila and stay home. This is for the safety and security of the health workers, frontliners, and the public. Through the combined efforts of the public and our health workers, the fight against COVID-19 won’t seem like such an insurmountable task.
Learn more about COVID 19 here.
