Says restrictions stay as long as COVID threat remains
PRESIDENT Duterte on Tuesday night shot down the possibility of lowering the country’s coronavirus disease (COVID-19) alert level to zero and declared that Metro Manila and other areas under Alert Level 1 will retain their quarantine level
until “everything is alright.”
The President, during his weekly Talk to the People address, said the resurgence of COVID-19 cases is possible if the government lifts all mobility restrictions.
“Until such time na talagang almost isa, dalawa na lang all over the country, ‘yang Alert 1 would still be good, parang buffer natin. Huwag na muna tanggalin natin ‘yan until we are very sure that everything is really all right (Until such time that there are only one or two cases all over the country, the Alert 1 would still be a good buffer. Let us not remove it yet until we are very sure that everything is really all right),” he said.
Metro Manila and more than 50 other provinces and cities are under Alert Level 1 until April 15, while the rest of the country is under Alert Level 2.
Government has been looking at the possibility of lowering the alert level to zero because of the current downward trend in COVID-19 infections nationwide and the improving economic recovery of the country.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III had earlier said that if the downward development continues, then the government could already deescalate to Alert Level 0, where all restrictions are already lifted even as everyone is still required to observe minimum public health protocols.
Duque and health expert Edcel Salvaña renewed calls for the public to continue wearing face masks, engage in frequent handwashing and observing physical distancing, especially amid the threat of the new Omicron XE variant.
Also during the weekly forum with the President, Duque said the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) is looking re-implementing the “no vaccine, no ride” and “no vaccine, no entry” policies and tweak it to include booster shots as a requirement to ride public transports and enter business establishments.
The move, Duque said, is aimed at encouraging more people to be inoculated a booster shot as an added protection against catching the coronavirus.
Duque said MMDA chairman Don Artes will meet with Metro Manila mayors and discuss the proposal.
He said that in the past, Metro Manila mayors have passed ordinances that required their constituents to be fully vaccinated to be able to ride public transportation or gain entry to establishments which helped boost the inoculation program of the government.
“Nakausap ko po si chairman, MMDA chairman Don Artes, at sabi niya pupulungin niya ang NCR [mayors] at titingnan kung puwedeng gawin din po ito na iyung booster dose, kasi matumal pa rin iyung ating booster dose coverage, mababa pa rin (I talked to chairman, MMDA chairman Don Artes and he said that he will meet with NCR mayors to determine if they can also do it with the booster dose, because until now the booster dose coverage is low),” he said.
Duque said the country should have already administered boosters to about 25 percent of the eligible population or around 46.4 million individuals by now.
Records show that only 12.264 million of the 66.341 million fully vaccinated individuals have received their booster shots as of April 5. The government has administered more than 143 million doses of vaccines.
Duque said the government has been exploring ways to further ramp up the country’s vaccination rate, including the redefinition of fully vaccinated to include getting at least one booster shot in addition to the two-dose or single-dose primary series.
Interior Secretary Eduardo Año reported to the President 16 areas nationwide are under granular lockdown.
Año said 11 of the locked down areas are in Metro Manila, while five are in the Cordillera Administrative Region.
The lockdowns are affecting 16 households, composed of 19 individuals.
Meanwhile, Año also reported a decrease in the number of violators of the minimum public health standards. — With Victor Reyes
