Coronavirus Lockdown: 15-Fold Increase, Normalcy By 2023, and More!

More news about how the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines is being handled by the public and the government.

Even though the DOH has assured the public that the new mutant strain of COVID-19 has not entered the Philippines authorities are still prepping for the inevitable. Some experts say despite the DOH's assurances the mutant strain still could be in the country.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/01/07/21/expert-doesnt-rule-out-presence-of-new-covid-19-variant-in-ph

"At this point, we haven't detected it but we shouldn't assume that it's not here," said Dr. Edsel Salvaña, a member of the government's Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) technical working group on new coronavirus variants. 

"We should still take care and do prerequisite vigilance because even the original virus, even if it's not the variant, can still cause spikes."

By spikes he means a 15-fold increase.

https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2021/1/6/New-COVID-19-variant-Philippines.html

"But if the variant takes over, the 20,000 cases can become almost 300,000 cases by the end of the month. This is what we want to avoid," Wong stressed.

He added that given this surge in infections, deaths could reach 684 instead of just 74 without the new variant.

Although there's no evidence the mutated coronavirus can cause a more severe illness or higher risk of death, the sheer number of COVID-19 cases would overwhelm the healthcare system, reducing its capacity to treat patients, experts said.

"This can become very serious, very dangerous if the variant (from the UK) becomes the dominant strain," Wong said. "But we should also remember that it's within our power to control this through our own behavior."

The good news is that the mutated virus is not necessarily more severe but it would spread faster and overwhelm the health system. The solution to prevent this form happening is the usual following of health protocols. Funnily enough BSP chairman Diokno says people just stop cowering at home and go out.

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/money/economy/770725/against-health-experts-advice-bsp-chief-tells-pinoys-to-go-out-stop-cowering-at-home/story/

According to Cedric Castillo’s “24 Oras” report on Wednesday, Diokno said visits to establishments and parks were nearing pre-pandemic levels.

“As of December 29, 2020, visits to places such as grocery and pharmacy and park have approached their pre-COVID levels,” he said.

“The important thing is [to] gain confidence. We have to learn to live with the virus. Let’s not keep cowering and hiding in our residences,” he added.

Meanwhile,  he expressed confidence that the Philippine economy will bounce back from the pandemic by the middle of 2022.

“What we’ve lost last year, we’ll fully recover by middle of next year. Not optimistic. That’s a realistic view of the economy. We have learned our lessons. And as I said, when the pandemic hit us, we were in a position of strength,” he said.

“The 6.5 to 7.5% projection for next year is based on the assumption that we will be able to vaccinate a great majority of our people by the first half of 2022. Any early introduction of the vaccine in the Philippines will even improve that.”

It makes sense that the BSP Chief wants people to go out in order to stimulate the economy. Just be sure to wear your face mask, face shield, and keep your distance.

The Philippines will most certainly adopt a COVID vaccine passport system.  Rep. Cayetano is the latest to file a resolution.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1126615

Cayetano said the vaccine passport is not just a public health initiative, but also a key element in bringing back public confidence and reviving the economy.

“It is therefore essential that we immediately establish a credible certification system — a Vaccine Passport — which will allow Filipino travelers to reconnect with the rest of the country and the world,” Cayetano said.

He made the proposal after the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases rolled out the government’s coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccination road map.

He noted that vaccine passports or certificates are already being used in some countries, particularly citing Bahrain where the vaccination certificates are provided to individuals after they complete their vaccination schedule.

A brilliant move that he links the passport to economic recovery. According to a recent survey not everyone is onboard with taking the vaccine.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-01-07/nearly-half-in-philippines-don-t-want-covid-vaccine-survey-says

Almost half of Philippine citizens are not inclined to get a Covid-19 vaccine mainly due to safety concerns, according to a survey by pollster Pulse Asia. 

Only nearly a third of 2,400 Filipino adults polled said they are willing to be vaccinated, while 21% couldn’t say yet if they want to be inoculated. Of those who don’t want to get the vaccine, 84% said they are “not sure of its safety.

That could really throw a monkey wrench in the government's plans for recovery as they say 60% of the population needs to be inoculated in order to reach herd immunity.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/video/news/01/08/21/60-pct-of-filipinos-must-get-covid-19-shots-dost-says-as-surveys-bare-vaccine-hesitancy

About 3 in 5 Filipinos should be inoculated against the novel coronavirus, the Department of Science and Technology said on Friday, even as recent surveys revealed that most respondents shun receiving COVID-19 vaccines. 

(For us to have high confidence that COVID-19 will not spread, there should be herd immunity. According to what experts told us, at least 60 percent of our population should be vaccinated.)

Hopefully the government can meet their goals.

The pandemic can't stop Filipino traditions such as the Black Nazarene Festival.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1381431/the-lord-is-with-us-amid-covid-19-scourge-bishop-tells-black-nazarene-devotees

(The Nazarene is an expression of God’s love.  The Lord is with us especially now that the pandemic has made our lives more challenging.  Many people lost their jobs, most of us are confined to our homes, barrios, barangays. But we know that God is with us.)

(He [referring to Jesus Christ] joins us in our situation. He doesn’t mind the cross that he is carrying. He is with us even though the cross makes him stumble. No matter what kind of cross we are carrying in our lives, let us pray to Christ, especially during this holy mass, to make us holy.)

Despite their triumphant faith in God the DOH says all those who participated in the annual ritual of venerating the Black Nazarene should monitor themselves for symptoms. The Palace says there has been a "post-holiday surge" as 1,900 new cases have been logged on January 10th..

There are several vaccines on the way to the Philippines. One is from India.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/01/11/21/ph-signs-deal-to-secure-30-million-doses-of-covid-19-vaccine-covovax

The Philippine government has signed a deal to secure the supply of 30 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine Covovax from Serum Institute of India (SII), the latter's local partner said on Sunday.

The agreement was signed on Saturday by Carlito Galvez, a former military general in charge of the Philippines' strategy to fight the coronavirus, according to a statement issued by SII's local partner, Faberco Life Sciences Inc.

The vaccine is kept at a temperature of "2 to 8 degrees centigrade," according to Faberco medical director Dr. Luningning Villa.

(We don't need to store it in ultra-low temperature, it can be distributed to even the farthest areas.)

The cold storage issue will be a determine factor in which cities receive which brand of vaccine because the Philippines lacks adequate cold storage facilities.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/01/11/21/only-major-cities-to-get-pfizer-covid-19-vaccine-due-to-storage-issues-palace

The COVID-19 vaccine that US-based Pfizer developed would be available only to "major cities," Malacañang said on Monday, as authorities sought to inoculate two-thirds of Filipinos this year. 

Pfizer's vaccine needs to be stored at minus 70 degrees Celsius and facilities for this are limited, said Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque. 

(Even in America which ordered so many doses from Pfizer, these are wasted because from factory to deliver, the cold chain is not followed.)

(For those who have colonial mentality who want Pfizer, you can wait, but this is our warning: it can only be distributed to major cities because we really don't have cold chain capacity outside Metro Manila.)

What does "colonial mentality" have to do with anything? People want Pfizer because that is a trusted pharmaceutical company unlike whatever companies are making vaccines in India and China. It's about brand recognition. It's also about cost and effectiveness.

The PNP has been saying crime is down during the pandemic but apparently kidnapping is up!

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1127105

The number of kidnapping cases involving Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) almost doubled last year amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic, the Philippine National Police Anti-Kidnapping Group (PNP-AKG) said on Tuesday. 

Citing latest data, AKG director Brig. Gen. Jonnel Estomo said a total of 17 POGO-related kidnapping incidents was recorded in 2020, with 10 cases filed, 23 victims rescued, 33 suspects arrested and two suspects killed during police operations. 

This translates to an 88-percent increase from only nine incidents recorded in 2019, with 13 victims rescued, 34 suspects arrested and six cases filed.

“There was a slight increase in the recorded cases particularly in the year 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Since there was a stoppage on the operations of the online gaming casinos, employers have no profit and in order to survive they will detain their employees and deprive them and ask for money in exchange for liberty to their families abroad,” Estomo told reporters.

For the PNP an 88% increase is "slight." If your employer is kidnapping you so that can make a profit then you had better get a new job. Why does the government allow these places to operate?

Are you tired of all the pandemic noses? Don't worry because normalcy will soon be here in 2023.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/01/13/21/normalcy-in-2023-if-govt-private-sector-communities-unite-vs-covid-19-says-vaccine-czar

Filipinos may see some sense of normalcy by 2023 if the country takes a unified front to battle the COVID-19 pandemic, an official leading the immunization effort against the disease said on Wednesday, as the country remained under quarantine nearly a year since it was first imposed.  

The mass vaccination against the novel coronavirus requires engaged government agencies and the private sector, "highly committed" local officials, a supportive academe, a well-prepared health care system, and adequately informed communities, said Carlito Galvez Jr, Chief Implementer of the National Task Force on COVID-19. 

"It is only through this that we can implement a sustainable immunization program to recover the economy and restore normalcy in the lives of the Filipino people by 2023 through our bayanihan spirit," he said in a public briefing. 

A well-prepared health care system? Adequately informed communities? Highly committed LGU's? Looks like normalcy is farther off than 2023!