BY VICTOR REYES and JOCELYN MONTEMAYOR
INTERIOR Secretary Eduardo Año said the PNP will not enforce, at least for now, President Duterte’s pronouncement not to allow persons who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19 from going out of their homes.
Año, a key member of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, surmised the President made the remark merely to send a message that unvaccinated people should avoid going out as much as possible to prevent getting infected.
“When we reach population protection, at least 50 percent of the population is vaccinated, that’s when we may impose what the President is saying,” said Año.
The Philippines has a population of about 111 million, including minors who are not covered by the national vaccination drive.
The government has so far fully vaccinated only about 8.8 percent of the targeted population, according to Secretary Carlito Galvez. Jr., chief of the National Task Force against COVID-19 and vaccine czar, in his report tot he President on Wednesday night.
Except for Johnson & Johnson’s, the available vaccines are given in two doses.
Duterte, in his regular address on Wednesday night, said: “Ito ngayong ayaw magpabakuna, sinasabi ko sa inyo, huwag kayong lumabas ng bahay. Kasi kapag lumabas kayo ng bahay, sabihin ko sa mga pulis, eh ibalik ka doon sa bahay mo. You will be escorted back to your house because you are a walking spreader (Those who do not want to be vaccinated, I am telling you, do not go out of your houses. If you do, I will ask the police to bring you back to your houses),” he said.
Año said many workers are not still vaccinated, but “ they have to go out, they have to work.”
Malacañang earlier said the country is aiming to reach population protection by November.
Año said when there is enough vaccine supply, and individuals still refuse to be vaccinated, Año said that is when the movement of the unvaccinated may be restricted.
Told that preventing the unvaccinated from going out may be discriminatory, Año said: “It’s discriminatory if you cannot provide vaccine and you are going to impose that (restriction).”
“But if we have enough vaccines for everyone but you are still refusing to be vaccinated, that’s not discriminatory because that’s your own choice (not be vaccinated). It is also the duty of the government to protect the people,” he added.
Año said vaccination is the main defense against COVID-19. He said vaccinated people may still acquire the virus but said the effect will not be that severe and they will likely not die.
“The world has changed so we have to adopt. As of now, vaccine is the most important defense (against COVID-19)… As of now, in order to be safe and to stay alive, it’s important that we are vaccinated,” he said.
Duterte, on Wednesday night, said he wants a law punishing people who are not vaccinated but still going around/
He said barangays should have a list of unvaccinated residents.
“It behooves upon really the barangay captains. That is the job of the barangay captains, to go around to see who are vaccinated and who are not, and to give the appropriate warning that they should not be going around because they are throwing viruses left and right,” he said in mixed English and Filipino.
“We have to come up with a law punishing a guy, a person, who has not been vaccinated and going around. We do not have a law, a punitive action that can be taken against the person who does not have the vaccine and go around, making it dangerous for the others to acquire the virus,” he said.
Duterte reiterated the government cannot force anyone to be vaccinated but said for “those who do not want it, you can die any time for all I care.”
25M DOSES NEEDED MONTHLY
Galvez reported to the President on Wednesday that 18.17 million doses of vaccines have been administered nationwide. He said 6.83 million, or 8.8 percent of the targeted population, are fully vaccinated or have completed two doses.
Galvez said 31.6 million doses of vaccines have been delivered and the country still needs at least 42.6 million to be able to complete the inoculation of more than 70 million adults at least with one dose.
He said this may be possible by October if the vaccine arrivals continue.
He said the government also needs at least 25 million doses of vaccines delivered monthly to be able to meet the vaccine demands of the provinces.
Galvez asked everyone for patience as the Department of Health and the National Task Force asked local government units (LGUs) to continue to focus on completing the vaccination of those belonging to the A1 category in the national vaccination drive, or the health workers , A2 (senior citizens), and A3 (with comorbidities) or the vulnerable sector.
The government targets to achieve population protection by November through the inoculation of about 50 to 60 percent of the population in the “NCR Plus 8” and herd immunity by end-2021 or early 2022 through the vaccination of about 50 to 70 million people nationwide.
NCR Plus 8 is composed of Metro Manila Metro Cebu, Metro Davao, Bulacan, Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Pampanga, and Rizal.
