This early, government is anticipating a spike in COVID-19 numbers and is now using a PR crisis tactic known as “shifting blame” to hide or mask its inadequate response to the COVID-19 pandemic, says several informed individuals.

Palace spokesperson Atty. Harry Roque says Malacanan could impose a stricter enhance community quarantine (ECQ) the minute a spike happens due to the relaxed restrictions announced last May 15.

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte declared several provinces under medium quarantine to begin re-opening the local economy, which analysts say lost at least 2 trillion pesos worth of investments and profits due to the imposed ECQ. Metro Manila and the province of Laguna are still on enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) due to the unusual number of infected individuals.

Despite massive calls for testing and identifying infected individuals, no reported health surveillance operations coming from government. Mass testing has also been thumbed down due to costs for government. Several local government units (LGUs) have initiated their respective mass testings yet, availability of testing kits remains a big issue.

Government gave the Duterte administration 270 billion pesos to address logistical requirements relating to the campaign against the spread of the novel corona virus. In several public announcements, Duterte intimated that government is nearing desperation due to absence or lack of funds.

Without mass testing, how can government identify and isolate asymptomatic individuals with COVID-19 virus? In several posts here, Currentph.com had called on government to speed up and mass up testings and process it in a database so as to protect the public from the spread of the virus. Likewise, re-opening businesses at this time when the country is entering the typhoon season complicates COVID-19 efforts.

Expect a spike soon as individuals catch ordinary colds and flus which people would surely interpret as infestation.

This early, government is now readying the public to “blame” those who will go to work under the MCQ and not the mass testing which government should have initiated long ago.