Concerns raised over unvaccinated Metro Manila residents

MANILA, Philippines — Unvaccinated people in Metro Manila are bound to face more access and mobility restrictions in the coming days as the latest COVID-19 wave, propelled by the highly contagious Omicron variant, sweeps through the country, Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso warned on Tuesday.

“So I am calling on all of you, get vaccinated now. If not, the day will come, a few hours or days or weeks from now, there will be stricter and stricter regulations for the unvaccinated,” the Aksyon Demokratiko standard-bearer said.

The 47-year-old mayor who is seeking the presidency noted that unvaccinated persons comprised the majority of the 544 active COVID-19 cases in Manila as of Jan. 2, amid the surge brought about by the Omicron variant of the new coronavirus.

Domagoso said the Metro Manila Council had already prepared guidelines restricting access to the unvaccinated in shopping malls and restaurants as well as in public utility vehicles.

As the country expects another surge in COVID-19 cases, Vice President Leni Robredo said she would restart her free mobile testing program this week to augment testing especially in high-risk areas.

In a statement, Robredo said she would be relaunching the Swab Cab initiative this week alongside her ongoing COVID-19 efforts, like her online Bayanihan e-Konsulta program.

In the meantime, Robredo suspended her campaign activities as well as their relief efforts for the victims of Typhoon “Odette” (international name: Rai) to protect their volunteers and staff from the threat of the more contagious Omicron variant.

“I call on our countrymen to take care and to follow health protocols,” she said. “Let us protect our loved ones and help bring down COVID-19 cases through a little sacrifice.”

Sen. Risa Hontiveros, for her part, on Tuesday, said the government must further step up its ongoing COVID-19 vaccination drive by focusing on areas with low immunization rate amid the prevailing threat of the Omicron variant.

She called on the Department of Health to set up partnerships with local governments and the private sector to increase the number of vaccination sites in the country.