It is a doctor’s prescription with side effects. But if it will cure the patient and prevent medical personnel from falling ill, then there’s no choice but to follow it. 

It will be the government’s job to manage the side effects – specifically the tremendous whiplash on the livelihood of the people. 

Social safety nets must be rushed because the people’s choice should not be narrowed down to either death by COVID or death by hunger.

But for this circuit breaker to succeed, government must heed the doctors’ orders. It must meet the health community’s service and sacrifices with greater resolve and resources. The timeout they are calling for is actually a challenge for government to work double time.

The choice, however, is not binary. There are good recommendations on how to press the pause button without killing the main economic engine of the nation—Mega Manila. We can defuse this ticking pandemic megabomb without blowing up the economy to pieces. 

The search for this elusive sweet spot begins with this: Mr. President, please make time to personally listen to the physicians. Hear their frontline stories firsthand and without filter. It is time for you to set an appointment with the doctors.

When the number of cases hits 100,000 today, it will sound an emergency alarm that can only be turned off by ringing the timeout bell.

Enhanced quarantine that will be borne by the people will only work if there is an enhanced response and help from their government. (###)