Amid all the panic buying of alcohol a week ago and toilet paper in other countries I never thought I'd see the day we experience this. Sometimes it is funny but sometimes it's concerning. Tomorrow the Community Quarantine will start and I wonder what will happen next. It will last for a month so hopefully it is enough to stop the spread of COVID-19.
The Difference of Lockdown and Community Quarantine
A quick definition search online provides the difference:
- LOCKDOWN: A lockdown or clampdown is an emergency protocol that usually prevents (stops) people or information from leaving an area.
- QUARANTINE: A quarantine is a restriction (limit) on the movement of people and goods which is intended to prevent the spread of disease or pests.
We have a community quarantine and not a lockdown. This means, Metro Manila officials still allow people to leave or come inside but only if they have work here and outside the area. Only if it is important or necessary will people be allowed to move in and out of the National Capital Region (NCR).
Why Is This Happening?
You are aware there is a Corona virus going around right? And with the Philippine government's "love" of China what can we expect when Chinese tourists/workers come over in large numbers? Hey, whoever brought the virus to the country is not important anymore. What's best is to stop the spread of the current pandemic.
Say hello to Community Quarantine! 😉 Oh and also take note of the curfew hours: 8 pm to 5 am.
Curfew is in place starting tonight. If you work during those hours make sure you have a work or company ID with you. There will be checkpoints manned by the police force for the security of everyone so do not be afraid and always be prepared with your documents or IDs.
What is the Reaction of Filipinos to Both?
👉 Reaction to Community Quarantine
1. Confusion
Since this is the first time it is happening in our generation, people are confused and don't know which is which. Good thing there are online announcements and copies of what the president said in order for everyone to take note of the details. The government have also been broadcasting live updates on social media especially Facebook. I've seen live announcements/press conferences from the Quezon City government (because I live here), the Department of Health (DOH), etc.
DOH Assistant Secretary Dr. Maria Rosario Vergeire stated in her interview there are two kinds of community quarantine: (1) Modified and (2) Enhanced.
a. Modified quarantine: Basic services will not be stopped, includes limited movement of people and transportation for important (like work) or essential activities (like going to hospitals).b. Enhanced/Absolute quarantine: With this, the local government unit can be advised by DOH if there are 2 or more cases in separate households with COVID-19.
If you watched the DOH video I linked and you understand Filipino then you will know that the government will provide for basic necessities (food, etc.) during a lockdown.
That is different from individual and personal quarantine. If anyone has mild symptoms of Corona virus then do a self quarantine for 14 days.
2. Complaints
Many people say it is useless if people can still go in and out of the metro. I guess they do not understand this is not a lockdown it is only a restriction of movement not a total blockage. Initially, most people also did not know they should practice social distancing (distance of 3 ft or double arms length to other people) without being told to do so. Even after learning of the Presidential announcement, people began to flock the bus stations today to go back to their respective provinces. Pictures of crowds in supermarkets and bus stations emerged online. Lots of online comments can be seen criticizing/insulting those people who were not doing it and how erroneous they were, etc., etc. Ah so much negativity.
The problem is, written government announcements/communication are mostly in English. I dunno if that's wise but somehow I think it is what deters other people to understand what they should do. I've only seen a few in Filipino without looking for them. Good thing the DOH announcement is mostly in Filipino. Hehe.
As for the business and work impact, well people have already been affected negatively with the announcement. Several events and meetings have been cancelled. I can attest to this too. Even before the quarantine declaration, a US client said he will not purchase any property as of now because of the Corona virus outbreak. He was supposed to arrive here last month but decided to cancel and wait until everything Corona virus related is okay. 💔
Another local client cancelled a viewing of the pictured above property in Tandang Sora, QC yesterday. Oh what a pain. The only good thing was I was able to ship the custom temp tatts order to my customer earlier than delivery date to avoid the March 15 quarantine.
3. Panic Buying
After the initial panic on the growing number of Corona virus patients, now we see another kind of panic. People started hoarding alcohol and bought food stocks to last for more than a week.Well so far the announcement is, malls will be closed too. The good news is, the supermarkets, markets and drugstores, etc., will be open during the entire quarantine period.
4. Thankful
There are those who praise the president for finally taking action to help stop the spread of the Corona virus. Companies have already given their employees ways to work at home. I have also seen people post how their company allowed them to have the office computers brought to their homes and internet connection provided too so they can work properly.
Another friend mentioned he was allowed to use a home computer to take in calls. Good thing their tools are all accessible online.
👉 Reaction to Curfew
There are people who think we are going to have martial law just because we will have a curfew imposed. Others agree we need this because we don't have enough discipline living in our own country and following basic health precautions. They say we should learn to follow the government mandates in order to help stop the spread of the virus. Why not when it is for our own good, right? Well for those afraid of Martial Law, here's an infographic for you.
What's Next?
Who knows what will happen in the one month period. I'm sure lots of people will still be pasaway or try to find loop holes in order to go out and about even if what they will do is not important enough. Ugh.
What we should keep doing is to follow the safety precautions so we don't spread the virus and avoid getting infected.
- Wash your hands regularly.
- If you're sick, always wear a face mask or use handkerchiefs when coughing or sneezing in public or even inside the home. Stop being stubborn and be concerned for the health of others.
- Use hand sanitizers or alcohol regularly or whenever possible.
- Disinfect everything you can disinfect and avoid areas where a Corona virus infected person has been.
- Strengthen your immune system by getting plenty of sunshine and fresh air, eating fruits and vegetables or consume all natural superfoods mix, get enough sleep, try to exercise too (if you don't) and stop abusing your body in any way.
By the way, a news website posted this (below) today. Here's the amazing person responsible in creating the GenAmplify COVID-19 rRT-PCR Detection Kit. 😊
I pray that it will be very useful for everyone who needs it.
For the meantime all I can do is post stuff online. Where else will I get money from eh? 😂 Even with the quarantine there's no stopping the bills from coming. I wish it would but let's pray it will happen even for just one month. 🙏 I doubt it will but it's a nice thought, right? 🤷
Even Reddoorz which a friend used to book an accommodation isn't offering a free rebooking from next week to next month. How terrible they are not considerate of the quarantine happening at all. Ah well.
I will just dream of surfing the beaches of Baler while this community restriction is in place. How about you? Are you doing better wherever you are?
Let's hope everyone will be safe and sound after everything we've been doing to keep this disease at bay.
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