Abalos tells Pinoys not to take Delta variant lightly: 'Please lang'

Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Benhur Abalos advised Filipinos on Monday, June 21 to not take the Delta variant of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) lightly.

“Itong Delta variant hindi mo pwedeng balewalain. Dahil maski isa pa lang ang dose mo [ng vaccine], pwede nang tamaan nito. At kung double dose, pwede pa rin (You can’t simply ignore this Delta variant. People with one or even two doses of the vaccine can still get infected by it),” Abalos during a press conference at the MMDA headquarters in Makati City.

His appeal comes at a time when the Philippine economy is slowly trying to reopen anew amid easing quarantine restrictions.

“Natutuwa naman ako ‘no, our economy is really [unretrievable] right now. Nakikita niyo naman, madami nang lumalabas, maganda na ang ating ano, ang restaurants, madami nang bumibili sa malls. Maganda naman yun, tama naman yun (I’m happy with our economy right now. As you can see, a lot of people are going out, the restaurant business is picking up, and there are a lot of shoppers in mall. That’s good and that’s what we should be doing),” he said.

“Kaya lang, please lang–maskara, distansya (But please–wear a mask and observe physical distancing),” Abalos underscored.

The COVID-19 Delta variant was first detected in India in February and has now spread across the globe, including in the Philippines. The Department of Healrh (DOH) said there are 13 cases of the variant in the country so far.

The Delta variant is said to be 60 percent more contagious than other variants of the disease. Some health experts are even saying that it will eventually become the most dominant variant of COVID in the world.

Abalos warned the public that another surge in COVID-19 cases could happen–like the one that began last March–if Filipinos aren’t careful enough. The March surge led to the reimposition of an enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in the metropolis, it can be recalled. “Dapat magtulungan bawat isa (We should help each other). Let’s be responsible. Konti lang, konting ubo, sakit, you protect your family, you protect yourself–mag-isolate ka na (You should go on self-isolation when you feel even a bit of sickness. You protect your family, you protect yourself),” he said.

Asked if the Metro Manila mayors are eyeing additional restrictions in an attempt to curb the possible spread of the Delta variant, the MMDA boss said they would leave it to the DOH.

“Ang DOH po magbibigay ng restrictions and protocols dito (The restrictions and protocols will come from the DOH), we are just guided by it,” he said. The 17 Metro mayors comprise the Metro Manila Council (MMC), the policy-making body of the MMDA.

Abalos said the MMC is “updated” on the issue of the Delta variant since they conduct regular meetings with DOH representatives.

“As of now, I want to assure everybody na…maganda naman sa ngayon, walang kaso sa Metro Manila, mababa ang [occupancy rate ng] ICU [intensive care unit] beds, mababa ang mga kaso ngayon, our economy is doing [well]. Yun nga lang mag-ingat tayo (right now the situation is good, there are no cases in Metro Manila, the occupancy rate of ICU beds is low, the cases are low, our economy is doing well. But let’s be careful),” he said.