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May 15 marks the last day of the extended enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) for most parts of the country, including the National Capital Region. In spite of the continuing increase in the number of new COVID-19 cases being reported each day, the government has decided to relax restrictions in certain parts of the country in hopes of gradually getting the economy going again after a two-month lockdown.

The COVID-19 pandemic is disrupting economies and societies worldwide. We are going through another global recession as business operations stood still for months in most parts of the world. Stock markets are down. Tourism and travel are almost nil. Schools are empty, while hospitals are overcrowded. Medical professionals struggle in saving lives, including their own. Employees are not allowed to go to work and are forced to rely on government subsidies to feed their families.

Establishments have been looking forward to the lifting of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), especially as most economic activity ground to a halt after March 16. For more than six weeks, the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting ECQ have crippled some businesses and the economy. The most vulnerable have been reduced to relying on emergency relief goods after being denied the opportunity to work. The government’s revenue-collecting agencies have missed their targets for the first quarter of this year, mainly due to the lockdown, which runs until May 15.

The government has extended the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in certain high-risk COVID-19 areas to May 15. In addition, for moderate- and low-risk areas, a modified form of general community quarantine (GCQ) will be implemented beginning May 1. During these extraordinary times, social distancing is the new normal and staying at home is a civic duty. More importantly, more and more people are lending a hand to communities.

At a time when all hope seems lost, witnessing people coming together to help each other in the battle against COVID-19 may be what’s needed to have one’s faith in humanity restored. Frontliners, from health care workers and emergency response teams to grocery workers and food delivery riders, are being lauded as heroes, and rightfully so. Whether it is our lives or dinners that are on the line, these frontliners work hand in hand and with the rest of the world, despite the risk to their personal safety every time. The Bayanihan spirit we have been seeing these past few weeks is a show of solidarity that is definitely one for the ages.

Last week, many believers all over the world celebrated the most important event in the Christian calendar — Holy Week. For devout Christians like me, Holy Week is a time for prayer, sacrifice, repentance, and reflection. This year, however, Holy Week was celebrated differently in response to the government’s call to contain the transmission of COVID-19. Christian rituals and local traditions were carried out without crowds, while masses were televised or streamed online. Undoubtedly, this outbreak continues to affect life in more ways than we could have imagined. We can bear witness to how this pandemic brought new meaning and significance to our lives. It invited us to see the greater reality of what is important in life, brought many people back to their faith, and inspired people to show more kindness and empathy for others.

As the number of novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases rapidly increased over the past few weeks, we have developed an obsession with figures and statistics. How many new cases have been reported in our country? What is the mortality rate? How many have recovered? How can we flatten the infection curve? What are the measures do we need to follow to avoid being infected?

It has been a week since the government imposed the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) and stringent social distancing measures on Luzon. This has resulted in the suspension of classes, public transportation, and travel by land, air, and sea. Strict home quarantine is being imposed and public gatherings are prohibited. Most business establishments, except for those that provide basic necessities, such as public markets, supermarkets, hospitals, pharmacies, banks and public utilities (e.g., power, water and telecommunications facilities) companies, remain open. To ensure the continuity of government services, work from home and minimal staffing arrangements are being implemented in the executive branch, except for the PNP, AFP, PCG, and health and emergency frontline services, border control and other critical services.