Coronavirus Lockdown: Vindication, 4th COVID-19 Vac Shot, and More!

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

All areas of the Philippines are not at low risk for COVID-19.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1170341

All regions in the country remain at minimal risk case classification with health systems capacity at low risk, a health official said Tuesday.

The Covid-19 cases nationwide is on a slow decline with an average of 490 cases reported daily for the period of March 15 to 21, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said during an online media forum.

The current average of infections is 13 percent lower than the previous week which recorded 564 cases.

“Batay sa ating datos, bumaba sa 805 cases ang severe and critical cases mula (Based on our data, the severe and critical cases went down to 805) 1,874 since mid-January,” Vergeire said.

The government says these low numbers are a vindication of the authoritarian response to the pandemic.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1170550

“Yes, we are on the right track, definitely. The fact that we are one of the third lowest in Covid mortality (and our hospital bed utilization rate is low, there are few patients. It means everything is going smoothly),” acting presidential spokesperson Martin Andanar said in an interview on Daily Tribune’s “Straight Talk” program on Tuesday.

Andanar described the country’s improved Covid-19 response as a “vindication” of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and his administration.

“We have a Covid policy unlike some of our neighbors in Southeast Asia. (And now we see there are surges there, but we're reopening our economy). So this is a vindication to all of the tough policies that we followed during the last two years,” he added.

In a prerecorded Talk to the People aired on March 7, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said Duterte's leadership coupled with Filipinos' compliance to health protocols have led to the Philippines having fewer Covid-19 infections compared to other Southeast Asian countries.

Who knew that all the unnecessary checkpoints, military patrol vehicles, and cops beating quarantine violators was actually all for the best?

Despite the low numbers face masks are here to stay. 

https://mb.com.ph/2022/03/23/duterte-not-ready-to-lift-face-mask-mandate-new-covid-19-variant-looms/

Despite low Covid-19 cases in the country, President Duterte said the existing face mask mandate would remain to help contain the spread of the virus, especially with the discovery of the new strain in Israel.

“The numbers are now very low compared to the population… But you know itong mask na ano maraming nagtatanong, alam mo (many have been asking and you know) I am not ready to order the removal of the mask,” Duterte said during his “Talk to the People” address aired Tuesday, March 22.

“Pero siguro ‘yung plastic na ano cover puwede na ‘yun pero (Maybe the cover made of plastic we can remove it but) as I said, it has done a lot of good that prevented the contamination from spreading,” he added.

Duterte noted that the ongoing pandemic may stay for long as new Covid-19 variants have been detected in other countries and may eventually reach the Philippines.

“So matagal pa ito (This will stay for long). And there are reports that I don’t know if it’s — subject to confirmation — that there is a new COVID [variant] found in Israel. So whether we like it or not, kung totoo ‘yan (if it is true), it will reach again the shores of our country,” he added

Be sure to wear your mask in public or face steep fines.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1170462

The city’s coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) prevention and enforcement cluster has recorded 426 face mask violators from March 14 to 18 who have been required to pay appropriate fines.

This came about despite the city’s current Alert Level 1 status, in which restrictions have been eased.

In a statement Wednesday, Dr. Michelle Schlosser, spokesperson of the Davao City Covid-19 Task Force, said the public may have assumed that the wearing of face masks had been lifted after some information campaign signages on the minimum public health standards in the city were taken down.

Schlosser said the signages were probably removed because social distancing was lifted, but clarified that Executive Order 11 noted the wearing of face masks as mandatory.

“I would like to reiterate to Dabawenyos that only the social distancing protocol was lifted but the mandatory wearing of face mask remains. People might have thought that the non-wearing of face mask is okay since the signages were removed," Schlosser said.

She reiterated that individuals caught not wearing a face mask in public places will still be issued citation tickets.

Violators will get a PHP500 fine for the first offense; PHP2,000 for the second offense, and PHP5,000 or one-month imprisonment for the third offense.

Face masks do not prevent the spread of COVID-19 but not wearing them will certainly add to the government's coffers.

The safety protocols businesses were required to follow during the pandemic are now going to become permanent. One will not be able to obtain a business permit unless one can get a Safety Seal.

https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1924324/manila/local-news/safety-seals-now-a-requirement-in-getting-business-permits

THE Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on Emerging Infectious Diseases has approved the recommendation to include Safety Seals in the requirements for obtaining business permits, a Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) official said on Tuesday, March 22, 2022.

DILG Undersecretary Epimaco Densing said they will issue a memorandum circular to the local government units (LGUs) for the implementation of the measure.

“That has been approved during the IATF [meeting] that we will issue a memorandum circular to all our LGUs to require Safety Seals in specific identified industries lalo na 'yung mga negosyo na closed door (especially closed door businesses),” Densing said during a Laging Handa public briefing.

He said so far, six percent of the businesses in the country have Safety Seals.

Safety Seals are being issued by the Department of Trade and Industry to establishments that comply with the safety standard set by the government amid the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.

It's just another burden on would-be small business owners. Also quite silly as none of the health protocols like wearing face masks, taking ones temperature, or signing in to enter a store will stop the spread of any disease.

Were you expecting the new normal soon? Well, think again. We will be in a transition period for some time. And it's your fault if you have not had a booster shot.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1574588/new-normal-by-april-not-likely-says-presidential-adviser

The “new normal” is unlikely to be implemented by April owing to the low rate of booster vaccination, presidential adviser for entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion said on Monday.

During the Laging Handa public briefing, Concepcion said that while the National Capital Region and other regions have a high vaccination rate, especially for primary doses, the rest the country still has a low booster vaccination rate, making the race for the new normal a difficult task.

(Yes, because our challenge now—the number of our primary doses is not a problem in NCR and other areas, it is increasing but booster shot coverage is low.)

(I was all for Alert Level Zero but the percentage of boosting of LGUs must be high.)

Hurry and go get your booster shot if you are so inclined. And then after that get your fourth shot.

https://mb.com.ph/2022/03/26/govt-eyeing-4th-covid-19-vax-shot-rollout-last-week-of-april-nvoc/

The government is considering to start in April the administration of a fourth Covid-19 vaccine shot in selected individuals once the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves the said measure.

The Department of Health (DOH) has already submitted its application to the FDA for the amendment of the emergency use authorization (EUA) of Covid-19 vaccines to include a fourth shot for people considered as “vulnerable” to the disease, said Health Undersecretary and National Vaccination Operations Center Chief Myrna Cabotaje. 

“(This will start once the EUA and guidelines are approved. So, maybe we can start this last week of April),” said Cabotaje on Saturday, March 26, during a public briefing.

The DOH is currently crafting the guidelines for this measure, said Cabotaje. 

“(The set of guidelines is now being prepared. We continue to discuss with our experts…This is recommended for high risk or vulnerable groups such as the A1:) health workers/ frontliner services, seniors, and immunocompromised individuals,” said Cabotaje. 

The DOH is seeking FDA approval for a 4th COVID shot but the DOH also says four shots can be dangerous.

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/826656/doh-warns-vs-taking-4-or-more-covid-19-vaccine-doses/story/

The Department of Health (DOH) on Tuesday warned the public against taking four or more doses of the COVID-19 vaccine saying it could be dangerous for their health as it is yet to be approved by health experts.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire stressed that while COVID-19 jabs are proven safe and effective, people still need to be wary in receiving doses more than what was approved by experts.

She said they have received reports that several individuals have taken four, five, and even six doses of the anti-COVID vaccine.

“What I can say is it would be dangerous. We have to understand that these vaccines are only in their Phase 3 trials so although it has been approved already, has been studied that it is safe and effective, but we need to monitor for long-term effects of these vaccines,” Vergeire said in an ANC interview.

"It could be dangerous for their health as it is yet to be approved by health experts." So, once its approved by experts then it's not dangerous anymore? Is that how science works? Amazing.