First Of All, What Is Community Quarantine?

President Rodrigo Duterte recently placed the entire Metro Manila under a 30-day community quarantine. This, of course, follows the transmission and to avoid the increase of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases in the Philippines. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the COVID-19 a pandemic, stating that it has become a crisis that touches every sector.

First of all, what is Community Quarantine?

The community quarantine remains a mandatory isolation as per Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Disease. In this state, land, domestic air, and domestic sea travel to and from NCR will be suspended. This starts on Sunday, March 15, 2020 until Tuesday, April 14, 2020.

In general, a community quarantine means the strict separation of a group of people reasonably believed to have been exposed to a communicable disease but not yet symptomatic, from others who have not been so exposed, to prevent the possible spread of the communicable disease. In this case, COVID-19.

Now, here’s what you should do during the Community Quarantine:

Observe proper hygiene.

Don’t touch any parts of your face (especially your nose and mouth) without washing your hands. Plus, one should wash their hands in the recommended way possible- for at least ten to fifteen seconds. Make sure that you get the corners of your fingers and fingernails.

Stay at home.

Just like what was said earlier, one shall not leave home unless it’s absolutely necessary. This is not the time to go on a vacation and have fun with friends at the mall. This is the time to put up precautionary measures to avoid the virus. Leaving your own home’s premises can make you a carrier of the disease. Aside from that, if you really need to go outside, don’t forget to wear a mask and carry a hand sanitizer or alcohol with you at all times.

Buy necessities.

Although hoarding isn’t advisable, buying absolute necessities is. Filipinos have been flocking supermarkets to buy in bulk. However, this could cause shortage and increase prices. Aside from that, people who have to survive with their daily or weekly salaries will have nothing to buy once they have the money to buy what they need.