More news about how the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines is being handled by the public and the government.
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) lauded the local government units (LGUs) in rolling out coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccines in their respective localities as the government continues to step up its house-to-house vaccination campaign.DILG Secretary Eduardo M. Año said a total of 1,481,683 individuals were administered with the first, second, and booster doses against Covid-19 as LGUs' encouraged their constituents to get jabbed as well as increase vaccine confidence among the public.
Año commended Region 7 for inoculating 407,019 individuals with the LGUs hard pressed to intensify the house-to-house vaccination campaign to prevent another Covid-19 surge.
He noted that Regions 11 and 6 were able to inoculate 230,940 and 125,429 people, respectively.
“(This is a testament that the campaign is effective and it is a big boost to our countrymen in far-flung areas to avail of the vaccine. We will continue with the house-to-house vaccination campaign to further reach other unvaccinated individuals),’’ Año said during President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s Talk to the People aired Tuesday morning.
“(Our defense against Covid surge is the relentless vaccination and booster shots, and adherence to the minimum public health standards or protocols),’’ the DILG chief said.
In the same briefing, Año noted the significant decrease in the number of violators with the Philippine National Police (PNP) and other authorities strictly enforcing the minimum public health standard (MPHS) regulations.
Año pointed out that those not wearing face mask were down to 30,154 from 84,969, while the mass gathering infractions fell to 220 from the previous 724 incidents, and the number of physical distancing violators was down to 2,168 from the 9,057.
It's not only that the house-to-house vaccination program has been successful or that health protocol violations are down significantly but also 87% of Filipinos are willing to get booster shots.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1592801/octa-research-only-23-of-filipinos-dont-want-to-get-booster-shot |
Only 23 percent of Filipinos do not want to get a COVID-19 booster shot, accordimg to independent analytics group Octa Research on Thursday.
Citing results of their survey conducted on April 22 and 25, Octa Research fellow Ranjit Rye said that more than 70 percent of Filipinos are willing to get a booster dose against the coronavirus disease.
“Sa willingness na magpa-booster, alam mo mataas (The willingness to get a booster is high), nasa (around) seven out of 10 Filipinos. More than 70 percent of adult Filipinos who had taken the vaccine ay (are) willing ho magpa-booster (to get a booster shot),” he said in a Laging Handa public briefing.
(Those who do not want to receive a booster are only a minority of 23 percent.)
Rye noted that those who prefer to forego a booster shot were worrying about the vaccine’s safety or do not see the need for a third dose.
(So, 53 percent of the 23 percent minority who do not want to get a booster, were citing safety reasons.)
(Many of our fellow Filipinos, something like 35 percent, believe that booster shots are not needed.)
Any of those 87% who wish to get vaccinated can do so on Election Day after they cast their vote.
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| https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2022/05/07/2179437/doh-set-covid-19-vaccination-sitesin-polling-precincts |
The Department of Health (DOH) said Saturday that voters who wish to complete their primary series or get booster doses against COVID-19 can head over to vaccination sites beside polling precincts on elections day.
"Para naman po dun sa ating mga kababayan, may sinet up po tayong vaccination sites sa lahat ng polling precinct. Pagkatapos niyo pong bumoto maari po kayong dumiretso 'dun kung wala pa ho kayong booster o 'di kaya ay kailangan pang kumpletuhin ang primary series," DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in an interview on Laging Handa on Saturday.
("We have set up vaccination sites in all polling precincts. After voting, you can go straight to the site to get your booster or if you need to complete your primary series.")
The COVID-19 jabs are free of charge.
Vergeire told reporters later on that these pop-up vaccinations sites or tents will be located 30 meters away from polling sites, as approved by the Commission on Elections (Comelec).
There aren't any numbers yet on how many voters went from the polling center to the vaccination site but the COMELEC says it was a record turn out.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1595602/comelec-despite-pandemic-ph-may-see-highest-voter-turnout-yet |
Despite restrictions posed by the pandemic, the Philippines may see its highest voter turnout yet, putting to rest the Commission on Elections (Comelec) “worst fears.”
In a press conference on Tuesday, Comelec Commissioner Marlon Casquejo said the poll body has recorded an 80.38 percent voter turnout as of Monday night.
“Hindi pa siya kumpleto kasi ‘yung ibang province hindi pa kasi tapos. We have around 80.38 voter turnout. So we are expecting na aakyat pa ‘to kapag tapos na ‘yung iba. Kasi we still have 2,000 plus or 1,000 plus (vote counting machines) na hindi pa nakapag-transmit,” he told reporters.
According to Casquejo, the highest recorded voter turnout was during the 2016 elections, when 81 percent of registered voters exercised their right to vote.
“In 2016, that was 81 percent. In 2019, it’s 70 percent something and we are now 80.38 [percent[ so we’re expecting similar voting turnout but much higher than 2016,” he said.
“Alam naman natin na kapag presidential elections, talagang maraming interisado na bumoto,” he added.
The voter turnout so far for the 2022 polls allayed the “worst fears” of the poll body, according to Comelec spokesperson John Rex Laudiangco.
“We have to emphasize that the 80.38 percent that we have right now is during the time of the pandemic. Nawala ‘yung worst fears natin,” he said.
The DOH is advising voters to observe themselves for COVID-19 symptoms.
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| https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2022/05/11/2180172/voters-told-observe-covid-19-symptoms |
Thirty-one voters were sent home for manifesting symptoms of COVID-19 when they were screened at polling precincts on election day last Monday, the Department of Health (DOH) said yesterday.
At a press briefing, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire reported that the 31 voters were instructed to go on home isolation.
“They were referred to local health centers for further evaluation and management,” Vergeire said.
She added that no voters with “severe symptoms” have visited polling precincts.
Since the incubation period of COVID-19 is at least two weeks, the DOH will be monitoring the situation that might arise from campaign activities, according to the DOH official.
This as DOH Technical Advisory Group member Edsel Salvana has asked those who participated in candidates’ miting de avance and went to crowded polling precincts to “wear their masks religiously” in the next few days.
If after two weeks there is no surge then that means everyone has stronger protection from COVID-19.
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| https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/831316/no-surge-2-weeks-after-election-means-filipinos-still-have-high-protection-vs-covid-19-solante/story/ |
"Yes, that's expected if there is no surge or spike after the election, that's good news, no. This means that our protection is still high, ”Dr. Rontgene Solante said at the Laging Handa briefing.
Solante said they received reports that some individuals removed their face masks while others had to wait inside rooms without proper ventilation due to problems with vote-counting machines during the voting period.
According to Solante, the effect of the activities during Election Day may be reflected in the country’s COVID-19 numbers starting next week as the incubation period is usually from three to five days.
“So if, for example, the exposure is high on May 9, let's count about… five to seven days. So that will reflect, most likely next week, ”he said.
Solante also warned against the entry of the BA.4 and the BA.5 Omicron sub-variants, which are linked to the spread of cases in South Africa, and the BA.2.12.1.
"So if we are okay after two weeks, then hopefully, we can continue .. But we continue to be vigilant in our health protocol and in vaccination," he said.
However, if there is a surge there will not be protracted lockdowns.
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| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1173862 |
The government will not implement protracted lockdowns and the alert level system will remain, National Task Force (NTF) Against Covid-19 medical adviser, Dr. Ted Herbosa, assured on Friday.
The government would stick to the implementation of localized lockdowns should there be an increase in Covid-19 cases in the country.
“(I just want to explain that the lockdown being implemented in China will not be implemented here. Our system now is anchored with alert level and localized lockdown),” Herbosa said in a televised public briefing.
Even if an area will be placed under the maximum Alert Level 5 status, Herbosa said the government will not resort to protracted and region-wide lockdowns.
“(We will only lock down those communities with high incidents of new cases),” he added.
Localized lockdowns will be imposed with an expanded mass testing approach so that infected individuals can be isolated immediately.
Why are these people so paranoid? The number of new active cases continue to drop.
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| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1173990 |
The country's daily average Covid-19 cases went down to 161 on May 2 to 8, or 20 percent lower than the previous week, the Department of Health (DOH) reported Monday.
Cases averaged 200 per day from April 25 to May 1.
In its latest case bulletin, the DOH said there are 1,124 new cases of the coronavirus and 42 verified deaths in the recent week.
For the same period, 14 cases were added to the tally of severe and critical infections, now 611.
Only 16.8 percent or 474 out of the 2,817 intensive care unit (ICU) beds are in use, while 15.4 percent or 3,664 out of 23,818 non-ICU beds are utilized.
There's not going to be a surge. The DOH is out of their mind. It's all theater. It's about time this pandemic end for good which includes lifting the face mask mandate.
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