DOH: ‘Unfair’ to allow only vaccinated persons avail of dine-in services

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) appears not to be in favor of the proposal of Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez to allow vaccinated individuals to avail of dine-in and personal care services, saying this will be unfair to those still unvaccinated against COVID-19.

“That’s one of the things na pinag-uusapan sa IATF (Inter-Agency Task Force) and of course pinag-aaralan ng mga eksperto. Kailangan natin tingnan ang lahat ng considerations,” Vergeire said during the Laging Handa public briefing.

Vergeire noted that many people are still not vaccinated against COVID-19, not because they don’t want to be inoculated but because of the limited vaccine supply.

“For us to impose this differentiation between the vaccinated and unvaccinated will be inequitable for them (unvaccinated people) and unfair for them,” she added.

She also pointed out that current vaccines offer protection against severe infection and do not completely block coronavirus transmission.

Lopez’s proposal, Vergeire added, will have to be studied properly especially now that the country is seeing a surge in COVID-19 cases.

The Trade Secretary earlier urged the government to allow vaccinated individuals to avail of dine-in and personal care services in areas under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ).

According to Lopez, these services are safer for individuals who are vaccinated against COVID-19 unlike for the unvaccinated. He added that there is no expected increase in severe and critical cases with this move.

“We believe in the vaccine. So we should believe in the vaccinated. And parang (It may be an) incentive to vax. To encourage vaccination. With this, we help bring back jobs, open a bit these sectors,” he pointed out.

/MUF