Press Release
July 7, 2020

2 DAYS IN A ROW OF OVER 2K NEW CASES
Focus on cure for COVID spread and economy now, not ABS-CBN shutdown -- Pangilinan

AS THE country posted over 2,000 new COVID cases in two days, Sen. Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan on Tuesday reiterated the need for an all-government focus on finding ways to stop the spread of the disease and simultaneously address the effects of the economic slowdown.

"Hanggang ngayon, halos apat na buwan na simula ng unang quarantine period noong Marso, wala pa ring komprehensibong plano para mapababa ang bilang ng mga kaso ng COVID. In fact, tumataas pa at pinakamataas nitong nakaraang dalawang araw," Pangilinan said.

On Sunday July 5, the Department of Health recorded 2,434 new COVID-19 cases, the highest increase of COVID-19 cases in a single day, with 1,147 classified as fresh cases, and 1,287 as late cases. This brought the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases to 44,254.

Yesterday, July 6, DOH recorded 2,099 new COVID-19 cases (1,258 fresh cases and 841 late cases), bringing the total number of confirmed cases at 46,333. The country has recorded a total of 12,185 recoveries (additional 243) and 1,303 deaths (six more).

Pangilinan said a comprehensive anti-COVID plan, which was already outlined in the first Bayanihan law, should use the principles of people's participation, transparency, and accountability in the COVID-19 pandemic response to avert reaching a worst-case scenario. "Sabi mismo ng mga local chief executives, sa kanila pinapasa ang pagpapatupad ng distribution ng ayuda at ng sari-saring quarantine. Pero hindi agad nababahagi sa kanila ang mga datos," he said.

"At damang-dama ito ng mga kababayan natin, lalo na yung nawalan ng trabaho at lahat ginagawa para kumita. Kaya parusa rin ang kawalan ng public transport," he added.

Pangilinan said a faster and wider all-government health-centric approach must be put in place.

"Sa totoo lang, hindi ABS-CBN o Anti-Terror Law ang dapat pinagkaka-abalahan ng gobyerno ngayon. The pandemic and the resulting disruption in the economy and joblessness should be its only job now. Ito pa ngang pagpapasara ng ABS-CBN ay magpapalala ng kawalan ng trabaho," he said.

"Everyone must be on the same page in this health crisis. Dapat ilahad at ipakalat ang tunay at importanteng mga datos -- sa testing, validation, generation of results, contact tracing, positive cases, recovery rates, isolation areas, quarantine situation -- na magiging basehan ng mga pagtugon ng mga lokal na pamahalaan at ng national government," he added.

Pangilinan pointed out that the government task force on the pandemic, not the military or the police, has a critical role to play in addressing the pandemic. "Hindi na natin makakaya pa ang mas marami pang namamatay, kawalan ng trabaho, at isa pang hard lockdown na muling magpapasara sa ating ekonomiya," he said.

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