Medical groups urge Duterte to reimpose stricter lockdown

Medical groups urged government officials on Monday, August 3, to work together to address the COVID-19 pandemic after President Rodrigo Duterte expressed outrage over their plea for stricter quarantine measures.

The Philippine Medical Association and other medical organizations called for a return to enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in Metro Manila and surrounding areas to give health workers time to rest and recalibrate strategies against the virus.

On Sunday, August 2, Duterte announced that he would meet with key Cabinet members to discuss the frontliners' request for stricter lockdown measures.

Medical groups will also hold a meeting with the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) on Monday to further discuss possible solutions.

The medical community warned that ignoring their call could risk a collapse of the health system and called for the removal of Health Secretary Francisco Duque.