The OCTA Research group warned on Wednesday of thousands more Filipinos dying from the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic if a hard lockdown is not imposed to stop the spread of the Delta variant.

Meanwhile, President Adviser Joey Concepcion said he favors the immediate imposition of a two-week “hard lockdown” to check the spread of the Delta variant and save lives and the economy.

“If we have to do it (hard lockdown), let’s do it, we are saving lives,” he said during a virtual presscon.

“We assume that thousands may die,” an OCTA official said during the same virtual presser.

OCTA Research also favors the imposition of the “two-week” hard lockdown in areas where there Covid-19 case surges, including Metro Manila and its surrounding areas.

The government said on Tuesday that it has no plan yet to impose stricter quarantine measures nationwide despite the threat of the more contagious Delta variant.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) is prioritizing the country’s “total health” to make sure that Filipinos are recovering from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“There is no recommendation for hard lockdown because what is important is the total health. We are balancing it,” Roque said in a press conference at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.