Cost Effectiveness of Implementing Community Quarantine in Selected Areas of the Partido District, Philippines

Abstract

The study measured the cost effectiveness of Community Quarantine (CQ) enforced by selected local government units in the Partido District, Philippines. It tracked the incidence of COVID cases; traced the decrease or increase in the number of COVID cases; calculated the average cost of each COVID case; and extrapolated the amount of saving or dissaving. It utilized key informant interview to gather specific sets of data. Based on the raw assumptions of Efficiency and Input-Output Analysis, this is a typical example of inefficiency because there were costs incurred but the benefits were undeterminable. However, the study uncovered that the after-CQ periods presented a relatively lower cost per day than the within-CQ periods. Therefore, it may be surmised that the CQ accomplished what it was meant to carry out – to arrest the transmission of the virus, decrease the number of cases and the cost of caring for patients. Based on the findings and the foregoing discussion, this study posited that the CQ in the study areas were cost-effective. The number of COVID cases dropped considerably after the CQ periods. Correspondingly, the average cost per day on COVID patients also decreased after the CQ periods. The reduction in the cost, logically, represented saving on the part of the local government units.