Concepcion: Consider vaccine passes once herd immunity reached in NCR Plus

Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion. (File photo from Philippine Daily Inquirer)

MANILA, Philippines — Vaccine passes can be considered once herd immunity is achieved in the s0-called National Capital Region Plus area (Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal) , Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship and Go Negosyo founder Joey Concepcion said Saturday.

Concepcion said reaching the herd immunity in NCR Plus is “quite possible” by the end of the year and one system that can be adapted is vaccine passes.

He said vaccine passes give those already inoculated with the COVID-19 jabs greater mobility to resume normal activities.

“By letting this portion of the population travel, dine in restaurants, or visit gyms, they can help businesses get back on their feet while we wait for everyone to get vaccinated,” Concepcion said in a statement.

“Diners, travelers, shoppers, even the cashiers and waiters – they can be confident that they are around other vaccinated people,” he added.

The vaccine pass

Concepcion said a vaccine pass is a documentation or proof of a person’s vaccination status in a move to ensure that a return to the new normal will not see the country backsliding into a surge in COVID-19 cases.

He added that vaccine pass is also seen as a chance for businesses to recover while still adhering to health and safety protocols.

“Vaccine passes can let restaurants accommodate up to 80 percent of dine-in customers that have been vaccinated. These can also boost domestic tourism because the vaccinated do not need to undergo PCR tests, ” Concepcion said.

Concepcion said that vaccine passes would make it possible to safely open up businesses that commonly operate in enclosed or partly enclosed spaces, such as spas, grooming salons, health clubs, airlines, public transportation, shopping malls, even museums and performance venues, and especially restaurants, where people need to take off their masks.

“We leave it to the government and its concerned agencies to continue their study on the internationally accepted vaccine documentation,” Concepcion said.

“What is clear is that we cannot apply the same 10 percent-, 50 percent-capacity requirements that were used when much of the population has not been vaccinated. That’s not the way to move forward,” he added.

Concepcion pointed out, however, that even with vaccine passes, people must still observe standard health practices.

“We certainly do not want to curtail the rights of people who choose not to take the vaccine, but we must also consider the safety of those who have chosen to protect themselves and those around them,” Concepcion said.