Community Responses and Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic 29 COVID-19 cases and the health status of the ASAMBA neighborhood In the months that followed the lifting of the ECQ in Metro Manila, mobility restrictions became more relaxed and many among the workforce have been allowed to go to work. In the absence of free mass testing, the whole community has become more exposed to the virus. In July, ASAMBA monitored two COVID-19 cases within their neighborhood. Both were employees of private companies and have reportedly recovered. At the beginning of August, four more asymptomatic cases were identified. Since there were no reported cases within the community during the ECQ period (although this observation was in the absence of mass testing), the community concluded that these residents were infected when they began to return to their workplaces. Since August 1, Quezon City has reached almost 7,000 confirmed COVID-19 positive cases. Barangay Baesa, where ASAMBA members reside, already had over a hundred cases (QC Local Government n.d.b). The cases in Quezon City have been increasing at an alarming rate. For instance, the August 5 data from the Department of Health (DOH) recorded 7,355 cases in the city. In a span of five days, by August 10, this surged to 7,761 cases (see Figure 4 below). “Natatakot pa rin ako” (I am still scared), said Mina who is still stationed at the gates since the ECQ. She explained that she became anxious after she found out that the government staff whom she assisted for the house-to-house Figure 4 COVID-19 updates from the Quezon City government, August 5 and 10, 2020 Source: Quezon City Government Facebook page