Coronavirus Lockdown: Airborne, Endemicity, and More!

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

Despite the government continuing to stoke fears about a possible resurgence of the virus and further lockdowns its appears that COVID-19 is becoming endemic.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1171575

The Philippines is seeing some signs of Covid-19 endemicity despite the new threat posed by the recombinant variant Omicron XE, according to an infectious disease expert on Wednesday.

In a televised public briefing, Department of Health – Technical Advisory Group member Dr. Edsel Salvaña said endemicity is a gradual process a country goes through.

“(We can see the signs of endemicity here – the health system is not pressured, [admissions are] manageable, we have cure [for cases]) and we know how to prevent [cases] it with masks and vaccines. In a way, it’s becoming endemic,” Salvaña said.

Daily coronavirus cases remain low, a step forward toward endemicity, he added. However, the public has to remain vigilant in utilizing safeguards like the minimum health protocols to avoid possible surge in infections.

Health experts said endemic phase means that the pandemic will not end with the virus disappearing. Even as the virus continues to circulate, enough people will gain protection from vaccination and from natural infection, resulting in less transmission and less Covid-19-related hospitalization and death.

Even though there are signs of endemicity the government seems as if they are about to come down hard with requiring booster shots for everyone. One proposal they are considering to get rid of vaccines before they expire is going door to door.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1171552

The National Task Force Against Covid-19 is currently "studying" the proposal to implement a house-to-house vaccination drive amid concerns over Covid-19 vaccine doses nearing expiration, Malacañang said Wednesday.

Acting presidential spokesperson and Communications Secretary Martin Andanar made this remark after President Rodrigo Roa Duterte said the government may embark on a “last minute” house-to-house Covid-19 vaccination program to ensure they are used before they expire.

These won't necessarily be booster shots but some may be. Either way DOH Secretary Duque wants to require booster cards.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/04/08/22/duque-backs-proposal-to-require-booster-cards

Health Secretary Francisco Duque said Friday he supports a proposal to require proof of booster vaccination against COVID-19 for entry into establishments and public transportation.

Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion has recommended mobility restrictions for individuals who will fail to get their booster jabs within 30 to 60 days after they become eligible for the additional vaccine dose. 

The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases will still have to deliberate on the matter next week, Duque said.

“I personally support this because of proven waning immunity over time against COVID after vaccination with the primary series. And booster has been proven to bring back adequate protection to those who received it,” he said.

An enabling law is needed for mandatory vaccination, Health spokesperson Maria Rosario Vergeire reiterated.

(Secretary Duque specifically stated that just to respond that the national government is doing everything so all can be reached by vaccines and we can ramp up inoculation.)

(An enabling law is needed for mandatory vaccination or booster, which comes from legislators and that's why Duque mentioned it.)

For labor group Trade Union Congress of the Philippines, the proposed mobility restrictions on un-boosted individuals have the same effect as “mandatory” vaccination, which it said is illegal.

“The TUCP warns the government in forcing mandatory vaccination of booster shots. Mandatory vaccination is illegal under the law. And based on our recent experience, forcing workers to vaccinate and to have them boostered makes government not credible, not believable,” TUCP Spokesperson Alan Tanjusay said.

It would seem Duque wants to make booster shots mandatory which won't sit will with a lot of people. Say what you will about Duque and the rest of the government's heavy handed response to the pandemic with economic crippling lockdowns and continuing to keep students from school, the WHO says the Philippines' response has been great.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1171800

The World Health Organization has commended the country's response to the coronavirus pandemic.

In an online media forum, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said WHO Regional Director for Western Pacific, Dr. Takeshi Kasai, commended Health Secretary Francisco Duque III's "solid leadership" amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

"(The Covax also commended our immediate purchase of Covid-19 vaccines. The government and Department of Health do all these for the protection of all Filipinos)," she said, referring to the global initiative for supporting fair vaccine allocation.

WHO are they kidding? The Philippines' response to the pandemic was to immediately and unnecessarily lock down the entire nation. The effects of that lockdown are being felt and will continue to be felt years from now.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1580340/closer-look-at-ph-jobs-picture-shows-little-stable-employmen

To pave the way for real economic recovery, the government should shake off its complacency in resolving the jobs crisis and help Filipinos without work, small businesses and the production industry.

This was stressed by the Ibon Foundation on Thursday (April 7) as the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) released the results of the February 2022 Labor Force Survey, saying that the economy is still finding it hard to generate enough work.

The Labor Force Participation Rate (LFPR)—the employed and people who are still actively seeking employment—was 63.8 percent or 48.61 million, higher than January’s 60.5 percent.

There was likewise a rise in employed individuals—from 43.02 million in January to 45.48 million in February. The 93.6 percent employment rate was higher than the 91.2 percent over the same period last year.

However, while the unemployment rate was still 6.4 percent in February, it translated to 3.13 million jobless Filipinos or 200,000 more compared to January’s 2.93 million.

The PSA said there was a decline in underemployment rate—from 14.9 percent in January to 14 percent in February. This translated to 6.38 million people who are already employed but still looking for longer hours of work.

While it was “not catastrophic,” Ibon Foundation said it’s “not a good sign” that the unemployment rate was 6.4 percent even though COVID-19 restrictions were already eased in February.

It stressed that this indicated that the economy’s ability to create enough work has not even recovered to how it was when the Philippines was not yet hit by the COVID-19.

Ibon Foundation said the government should not take the rise in employment at face value, stressing that the economy and people’s livelihoods are clearly not normalizing: “They remain in crisis and crisis measures are needed as ever.”

“The government needs to immediately distribute substantial cash and employment assistance to vulnerable Filipinos and provide subsidies to small businesses and production sectors,” it said.

“This will not only help poor households cope with the jobs crisis but will contribute to jumpstarting the economy towards recovery,” the think tank said.

The solution to this problem is not going to be easy but handing out cash to everyone will only increases inflation. Where will the money come from anyway? Not to mention the corruption from the Bayanihan cash much of which never even made it to the people. The fact is the lockdowns have permanently crippled the Philippines' economy and for many there is no going back.

There is a lot of fear mongering going on about another possible surge in cases. This has prompted authorities to remind everyone to follow health protocols which is basically blaming the public. But not only do face masks and vaccines not prevent infection it turns out that the virus is ariborne.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1581501/covid-is-airborne-and-why-it-took-who-2-years-to-admit-it

Earlier this year, President Rodrigo Duterte expressed bewilderment about how Omicron, a variant of the COVID-causing virus SARS Cov-2, was able to infect more people, including those who just stayed home.

“This Omicron has hit so many people who wear masks, who are vaccinated. Even those who just stay at home, they get infected,” Duterte said, speaking in a mix of English and Filipino, addressing his question to Health Secretary Francisco Duque in a taped meeting aired last Jan. 17.

“There are others—or there are many of them—who are vaccinated who still get infected. Is that airborne? There are so many people who are already wearing masks who still get infected,” Duterte went on.

Duque, who was asked to answer Duterte’s curious question, did not categorically answer whether the COVID virus is airborne.

However, he pointed to “token compliance” of minimum health standards, like improper wearing of face masks, as a possible reason for the spread of Omicron.

“Those who get infected are either wearing their mask wrongly or with their nose sticking out. That’s useless. That is what we call token compliance, but it’s the wrong way of doing things,” Duque said.

“It is the wrong way of complying with our minimum public health standards. For example, when it comes to avoiding contact, instead of [distancing] one meter, people talk close together,” he added.

Because the virus is airborne that means "that guidelines based on droplet transmission — such as standing six feet apart and wearing cloth masks — were inadequate infection prevention strategies." The virus can travel further than one meter and face masks can't stop you from inhaling it. That means the public is not to be blamed for the spread of the virus. Despite face masks being ineffective at stoping the spread of the virus and a source of pollution Duterte says they are here to stay until the end of his term.

It's both Holy Week and Ramadan but if you are thinking about going to church or the mosque think again, unless you are vaccinated that is.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1581749/only-vaccinated-persons-can-enter-places-of-worship-ano

Only individuals fully vaccinated against COVID-19 will be allowed to enter the places of worship, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said on Monday during the taped weekly “Talk to the People” briefing of President Rodrigo Duterte that aired Monday night.

That is clearly the rule of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) regardless of the COVID-19 alert level, Año said.

He made the reminder as Muslims were in the middle of marking Ramadan and Catholics the Holy Week.

“All of our religious groups follow [the rule],” he said.

The rule will also be implemented in mosques in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), he added.

According to Año, the Philippine National Police (PNP), which operates under the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), has been directed to coordinate with BARMM officials for the implementation of the rule.

The BARMM has been an area of concern in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, as only 20 percent of the target population there has been vaccinated against COVID-19, according to Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., the national vaccine manager.

That is a massive amount of overreach. How are they going to enforce this rule? Have cops at the entrance to every place of worship checking vaccine cards? It's an insane policy.

The number of lockdowns across the nation has decreased to four households.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1580818/no-ncr-area-on-lockdown-for-the-1st-time-since-2020

For the first time since March 2020, no area or even household in any of Metro Manila’s 16 cities and one municipality was considered on lockdown, the National Capital Region Police Office(NCRPO) confirmed on Saturday.

Even across the nation, only four households, with seven COVID-19 infected individuals, in the Cordillera Administrative Region remained on granular lockdown, as of April 8.

The Philippine National Police, however, reported that there were still 292 quarantine control points throughout the country, but none in Metro Manila nor Central Luzon.

It looks like I might have to change the title of this series.