INTERIOR Secretary Eduardo Año yesterday ordered the PNP to close COVID-19 vaccination centers that fail to enforce minimum public health standards, especially physical distancing.
The order came after thousands flocked to vaccination centers in Metro Manila, including in Manila and in Las Piñas cities, hoping to receive a shot before the metropolis goes on a two-week lockdown starting today. Thousands were also monitored to have lined up at a mall in Antipolo City to have themselves inoculated. Photos on social media showed people jostling each other to be the first in line at vaccination centers.
The chaos came amid “fake news” that said unvaccinated persons will not be allowed to go out of their homes during the two-week enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) and they will not receive financial assistance from government.
“There is no truth whatsoever to the rumor that only vaccinated individuals will be given `ayuda’ (assistance),” said Interior Undersecretary and spokesman Jonathan Malaya. “The Ayuda 2 approved by the President is for low-income individuals and families in the National Capital Region regardless of vaccination status.”
“To set the record straight, the distribution of ayuda and/or benefits or privileges is not anchored on whether an individual has been inoculated or not,” said Benjamin Abalos, chairman of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority.
Abalos warned those spreading false information will be held responsible.
Año said he has directed the Joint Task Force COVID Shield, under Lt. Gen. Israel Ephraim Dickson, to closely monitor vaccination centers.
“If the LGUs (local government units) cannot control it, close them just to be sure… The LGUs must find a way to address that,” he said.
Año said overcrowding and violation of physical distancing rules in the vaccination centers could become “super spreader events.”
“Remember, these are unvaccinated people. That’s why they are there and then you will allow them to be so close with each other, overcrowding? It’s like you are defeating the purpose of vaccination,” he said.
Año told the LGUs that there are “proper ways of doing things” in the vaccination drive.
“They should give time slots to people who want to be vaccinated so they would not line up early in the morning… Walk-ins are unpredictable, as much as possible we should not allow walk-ins, it should be scheduled,” said Año.
PNP chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar said vaccination is not a requirement for persons to be allowed to go out of their houses.
“Even if you are not vaccinated, as long as you are APOR (authorized person outside residence), you can go out,” he said.
There are two kinds of APORs — the workforce APORs who are essential workers like healthcare workers and workers of companies allowed to operate under ECQ and the consumer APORs who are representatives of households for accessing essential goods like food and medicine.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III asked LGUs to properly manage crowds in vaccination centers to ensure that vaccination activities will not become “super spreader” events.
NON-MANILA RESIDENTS
The Manila Police District estimated the turnout at vaccination centers to be more than 22,000, a massive jump from the usual 1,000 to 2,000 people per vaccination center.
Manila Mayor Isko Moreno said he could not blame the people who trooped to the city’s vaccination sites, adding they were getting confusing messages that unvaccinated individuals will not be allowed to go out of their homes during the ECQ period.
The city public information office said most of those who trooped to the vaccination sites in Manila came from the nearby provinces of Cavite, Bulacan, Laguna and Rizal, believing the false information that unvaccinated individuals will be arrested when they go out of their homes.
“They came in many groups, they came in many vans,” the city’s public information office (PIO) said in a statement citing investigation conducted by the police.
As proof that many of them are not from Manila, the PIO said many of these failed to present the city’s QR code when asked at the vaccination sites.
Citing police estimates of the crowd, the PIO said as many as 7,000 to 10,000 people trooped to SM San Lazaro, more than 5, 000 in SM Manila, more then 3,000 at the Lucky Chinatown Mall, and over 4,000 at Robinson’s Manila.
Maricel Bacay, a 59-year-old homemaker, was queueing outside a mall in Antipolo City in Rizal, at 3 a.m. to try beat anticipated crowds.
“There was news that you can’t get inside the malls or supermarket if you’re not vaccinated,” Bacay said.
Ofelia Gonzales, 36, a food vendor, missed the cut-off for a vaccine despite queuing since Wednesday night.
“If they keep extending the lockdown, who will provide meals if we can’t get out,” she said.
DON’T PANIC
The National Task Force (NTF) against COVID-19 said the public need not panic as government will continue its “aggressive vaccination” even during the ECQ.
NTF chief implementer and vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. also 4 to 6 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been allocated to the National Capital Region (NCR) and the surrounding provinces to ramp up the vaccination program this August. Four million doses will be deployed to NCR.
He said they plan to increase the allocation to eight million doses, as more vaccines arrive this month.
The country expects 22.7 million doses of vaccines in August. It has received 38.275 million since February.
At least 10.2 million Filipinos are now fully vaccinated against, said presidential spokesman Harry Roque.
Roque, Abalos, Galvez, and Health Secretary Francisco Duque III led ceremonies for the administration of the 10 millionth second dose of the vaccine at the Megatrade Hall of SM Megamall.
Mayor Joy Belmonte reiterated the Quezon City government is strictly implementing “no-walk-in policy” in vaccination sites. — With Noel Talacay, Ashzel Hachero, Christian Oineza and Reuters
