Anakalusugan Representative Mike Defensor urged Metro Manila mayors to reconsider banning outdoor activities during the two-week implementation of Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ).
Last Thursday, the Inter-Agency Taskforce (IATF) against the Covid-19 pandemic permitted certain outdoor activities like walking, jogging, and biking during the ECQ, provided they are done within the vicinity of the barangay.
“There is no rhyme or reason or science in that prohibition. It is uncalled for and unreasonable. People, including the elderly, need to exercise even under the strictest of lockdowns because exercise boosts a person’s immunity against sickness,” Defensor said.
Defensor agreed with the IATF’s ruling that people have the right to take care of their physical and mental health as long as they follow stringent distancing standards and avoid undertaking activities in groups.
He added that according to reports from people who got sick from the virus or were hospitalized due to Covid-19, an infected individual could not even move his body without suffering and gasping for air. This implies that those who can walk, jog, or bike are likely to be healthy citizens and are not carriers of the virus.
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