Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship Jose Ma. Concepcion III is pinning hopes on the fully vaccinated population to boost economic activities amid the protracted lockdowns that have been hurting the business sector.
In a virtual event on Monday, Concepcion reiterated his call to expand mobility for the fully vaccinated Filipinos by allowing them to go to commercial establishments, in addition to their workplaces.
The Go Negosyo Founder said that the proposal is “allowing the vaccinated to create that economic activity” in restaurants, spas, salons, malls and other establishments.
“Yes, the vaccinated can still be infected even with the best brands of vaccines out there, but clearly, we’ve seen it, all these brands of vaccines that the government and the private sector have purchased, clearly protect the vaccinated from getting severe infection or landing in ICU [intensive care unit] or even dying,” he explained.
“This proposal to allow the fully vaccinated to enter different business establishments, I think, is a way forward not only to bring down the level of quarantine that you have today, but hopefully will end all lockdowns in the future,” he added.
But for this to work, Concepcion said that establishments should ensure the safety of their premises to boost consumer confidence. “Because if the confidence is not there, the consumers will not enter these establishments,” he said.
Concepcion earlier argued that further mobility is needed, especially by the fourth quarter, to allow the economy to regain some footing.
The last quarter is deemed the most critical as this is the last chance this year for the businesses to recoup their losses accumulated over the last months, he explained.
The proposal is line with Concepcion’s call to promote micro-herd immunity, which refers to a close system that achieved 80 percent vaccination rollout already.
He stressed the need of continuous vaccination rollout to make the Covid-19 bubble “stronger.”
Recently, Concepcion suggested the deployment of buses for fully vaccinated passengers in Metro Manila to establish a “bubble” for the public transportation system. This is seen to provide safe mobility for the working population amid the pandemic.
Metro Manila is under modified enhanced community quarantine until August 31. While essential activities are allowed, the government banned indoor and al fresco dining in restaurants, beauty salons, barbershops, beauty parlors, nail spas and gyms, among others.