Department of Health (DOH) Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire on Monday said it will take two to three weeks to see the “full effect” of a week-long enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) being implemented in Metro Manila and four nearby provinces.

Vergeire made this comment amid calls to extend the ECQ being imposed in Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal beyond April 4 to contain the surge of the Covid-19 cases.

“Factors to consider to de-escalate are the two-week growth rate, average daily attack rate, and the gatekeeping indicators of LGUs (local government units) on the PDITR (Prevent-Detect-Isolate-Treat-Reintegrate) strategies,” Vergeire said in a text message to the Philippine News Agency.

Vergeire said the main objective of the one-week lockdown is to allow the medical facilities to breathe, saying most of the hospitals are nearing full-bed capacity due to Covid-19 cases surge.

“This gives time for the government to provide assistance to hospitals through referral networks and augmentation of resources,” she said.

She said the ECQ is aimed at continuously guiding LGUs to better respond to the pandemic through the strict enforcement of the minimum public health standards (MPHS), adequate testing, contact tracing, and isolation.

“We aim to decrease mobility by doing the lockdown and therefore we can reduce transmission and the number of cases,” she said. “But the effects of all this won’t be seen in a one week of implementation, it will take 2 to 3 weeks before we see the full effect.”

Vergeire said the DOH will regularly monitor the effect of the one-week ECQ.

“So we will assess per week so we can determine if need to continue with ECQ or we can de-escalate. Major basis to escalate will be hospital capacity,” she said.

During the implementation of the ECQ, all households should observe strict home quarantine while the movements will be limited to those Authorized Persons Outside Residence, those accessing essential goods and services, and workers in establishments allowed to operate.

The government prohibits the mass gatherings of more than 10 persons outside and non-household members indoors.

Face-to-face classes are also restricted in ECQ zones. Mass transportation is allowed at a limited 50 percent capacity. (PNA)