Vice President Leni Robredo. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Leni Robredo has made several suggestions to the government, including hitting 750,000 anti-COVID-19 vaccine jabs daily, to ensure that the impending strict lockdowns would be the last.
Robredo’s suggestions came as the National Capital Region gears for an enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) status from August 6 to 20, saying that the lockdowns should be just a stop-gap measure.
“Pinakamahalaga, ‘yung bakuna, dapat paabutin ng 750,000 a day ang nababakunahan para mapabilis ‘yung pag-abot natin sa herd immunity,” Robredo said.
(What’s important is the vaccine, it should be 750,000 people a day who get the vaccine so we can hasten reaching her immunity.)
“Narinig po natin ‘yung sinabi ng Palasyo na gustong maging ‘last ever lockdown’ itong paparating na ECQ sa NCR. Para marating ‘yung goal na ‘yun, kailangang tingnan ang lockdown bilang stopgap measure lang. Hindi ito gagana kung lahat ng ibang pandemic measures naka-status quo lang,” Robredo said.
(We heard the Palace saying it wanted that this ECQ will be the last lockdown in NCR. So we can reach the goal, we need to see that the lockdown is just a stop gap measure. It is not going to work out if the other pandemic measures are in status quo.)
Currently, officials in charge of the national vaccination program said that the country’s single-day record in terms of vaccine jabs administered is at 680,000 — way past the 500,000 doses per day target.
But aside from vaccinations, Robredo also put emphasis in COVID-19 testing, saying that the daily testing rate should be at least 120,000, compared to the current 50,000 tests.
In terms of contact tracing, the Vice President stressed the need to unify systems being used to ensure that possible COVID-19 patients would be tracked and informed.
“Halimbawa, 50,000 per day pa lang ang testing— dapat umabot ng at least 120,000 ‘yan para natutukoy talaga natin ang mga lugar na dapat tutukan,” she said
(For example, testing is at 50,000 per day, it shold reach at least 120,000 so we can identify areas that we need to monitor.)
“‘Yung contact tracing, labo-labo pa rin, ang daming app, ibig sabihin ang daming database. Pag-isahin na natin ‘yan,” she added.
(Contact tracing is messed up, a lot of apps, meaning we have a lot of database. Let’s make it one.)
Hospitals should also be ready, according to Robredo, as a scenario where patients die without being admitted to hospitals or while waiting in line for hospital beds like what happened during the last surge in March and April, should be avoided.
“Kailangan din maging hospital-ready tayo kasi, lalo na kapag may surge, ang daming namamatay nang hindi naa-admit sa ospital. Nakita naman natin ‘yung nangyari nu’ng March hanggang April,” Robredo said.
(We also need to be hospital ready, especially during surge, a lot of people dying without getting admitted in the hospital. Like in March and April.)
“Tulungan na ang mga ospital na mag-hire na ng mga medical personnel. ‘Yung access sa gamot at oxygen, tiyakin, at bantayan ang nagsasamantala sa presyo,” she added.
(Help the hospitals hire medical personnel. Ensure access to medicines, oxygen, and make sure those enterprising people who take advantage of the situation should be monitored.)
Metro Manila is set to go through another ECQ status from August 6 to 20, after President Rodrigo Duterte approved the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) resolution on the matter.
This is the third time Metro Manila would be under an ECQ status after the Luzon-wide lockdown in March 2020 — first in August 2020, second during the Alpha variant-led surge last March 2021, and then this latest ECQ declaration.
READ: Metro Manila under ECQ from August 6 to 20
However, the current variant feared spreading in Metro Manila is the Delta variant, which experts say is 60 percent more transmissible than the Alpha variant.
Analytics group OCTA Research speculated last week that seven percent of the country’s active patients may already be carrying the Delta variant.Then on Monday, they warned about the possibility of community transmissions already happening in Metro Manila.
READ: ‘Community transmission’ of Delta variant may now be happening in NCR – OCTA
Robredo stressed that aside from health concerns, the government must also understand that the lockdowns also deprive several sectors of income due to work closures, which is why a proper and quick social aid must be provided.
“Dahil rin sa lockdown, matitigil ang kabuhayan para sa libo-libo nating mga kababayan. Kaya kasabay ng mga paghahanda sa ating healthcare system, dapat ring tiyakin ang mabilis na pagbibigay ng pangakong ayuda sa mga maaapektuhang pamilya, at suporta rin para sa mga maliliit na negosyo,” she said.
(Because of lockdown, source of income of thousands of people will be affected. We should ensure a swift delivery of the promised assistance to affected families, support small businesses.)
On Tuesday, Malacañang said that they will provide social aid for Metro Manila residents affected by the stricter lockdown measures, funding of which will come from government savings.