The government should ensure that the Covid-19 cases in the country stabilize to manageable levels before it begins to ease quarantine restrictions nationwide, the Deputy Speaker for Trade and Industry said on Tuesday.
Deputy Speaker Wes Gatchalian of Valenzuela said it is better to err on the side of caution in easing coronavirus quarantine restrictions rather than hastily ease coronavirus quarantine restrictions in the country.
While the country is poised to receive its supply of Covid-19 vaccines in the coming days, he said, the inoculation of the public does not necessarily guarantee immunity from the virus.
“We support the gradual reopening of businesses to revive our economy, but the safety of our people must always come first,” Gatchalian said.
The lawmaker, citing health experts, said the coronavirus has already mutated into several strains, as he noted that the Department of Health has confirmed 18 more cases of the highly contagious UK variant in the Philippines, bringing the total to 62.
“It is better to err on the side of caution because should another surge in cases occur, we might needlessly flood our almost in full-capacity hospitals to the detriment of the whole health-care system,” he pointed out.
According to the United States Centers for Disease Control (CDC), three variants of the virus that cause Covid-19 are currently circulating globally: the UK, South African, and Brazilian variants. These variants seem to spread more easily and quickly than other variants, which may lead to more cases of Covid-19.
Pfizer earlier said that the South African variant of the coronavirus may reduce antibody protection offered by the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine by two-thirds.
Health experts have also cautioned the government against easing to the lowest level coronavirus restrictions throughout the country, especially in Metro Manila, after OCTA Research Group last week reported a slight upward trend in Covid-19 cases in the metropolis, with a variant of the virus possibly causing the spike.
OCTA Research said that “if restrictions in Metro Manila are relaxed to very loose levels, the region will be under a constant threat of a surge due to the increased mobility of people, reduced social distancing and diminished compliance with health protocols, as was observed at the outset of the December holidays.”
“Given the current state of Covid-19 based on available data aforementioned regarding the National Capital Region [NCR], the projections and forecasts provided and the reality that the more contagious and lethal [based on new studies] UK variant is already present in the NCR and is possibly spreading in its communities, we urge the national government to defer the consideration of the Neda proposal to shift the region to a modified general community quarantine by March 1, 2021,” the research group stressed.
“While we recognize and support the need to jump-start the economy and create livelihood for our citizens, at this time, the proposal to shift the NCR to MGCQ by March 2021 amidst the backdrop of a more contagious and lethal UK variant spreading in the regions is not just risky but also contrary to sensible epidemic management,” the group added.
Meanwhile, Speaker Lord Allan Velasco has expressed high hopes that the country’s first Covid-19 vaccines will arrive earlier after the House of Representatives unanimously passed on final reading a bill seeking to expedite the government’s purchase and administration of the life-saving shots against the deadly disease.
“We hope the bill will serve its noble purpose of helping the national government hasten the purchase and administration of the vaccine against Covid-19, which already killed more than 12,000 people nationwide and sent the economy into deep contraction,” Velasco said.
“Time is of the essence. Each day of delay is very costly for the government, and leaves many of our vulnerable countrymen exposed to the dangers of this disease,” Velasco added.
The bill provides for a Covid-19 vaccination program that would address the adverse impact of the disease through the procurement and administration of safe and effective vaccines by the national government—through the Department of Health (DOH) and the National Task Force Against Covid-19 (NTF)—and other duly constituted authorities and instrumentalities in an expeditious, efficient and equitable manner.
The vaccination program recognizes the experimental nature of Covid-19 vaccines available in the market and the need to compensate any serious adverse effects arising from the use of the vaccine.
Salient features of the measure include giving NTF the authority to negotiate and approve the terms and conditions in behalf of procuring entities, including but not limited to the price and payment terms; allowing local government units and private entities, in coordination with the DOH and NTF, to enter into a multiparty agreement with the DOH and relevant supplier for the procurement of vaccines; tax exemptions for the purchase, importation, storage, transport, distribution and administration of Covid-19 vaccines by LGUs; and the setting up of a P500-million indemnity fund for the adverse events following immunization.