Palace hopeful PH can celebrate a ‘no-mask’ Christmas

FILE PHOTO: In this December 21, 2020, photo, a man and his companion wear face masks resembling the Philippine flag in Divisoria, Manila. INQUIRER/ MARIANNE BERMUDEZ

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang on Thursday expressed optimism that the Philippines can celebrate this year’s Christmas without the need to wear face masks.

In an online Palace briefing, molecular biologist Fr. Nicanor Austriaco Jr., O.P. said containment can be achieved by October, and herd immunity is possible in November if 250,000 vaccinations are conducted daily in the so-called NCR Plus 8.

The NCR Plus 8 covers Metro Manila, Metro Cebu, Metro Davao, Bulacan, Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Pampanga, and Rizal.

Containment of COVID-19 is achieved when 40 to 50 percent of a population are vaccinated while herd immunity is attained by inoculating 70 to 80 percent of a population, Austriaco explained.

“Kaya po yan,” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said when asked if it is possible to celebrate a no-mask Christmas.

(That can be done.)

“Kaya nga po we are aiming for population protection or yung containment na sinasabi ni Fr. Austriaco kasi alam natin sa mga bansang nakamit yung containment, hindi na sila nagmamask at least sa outdoors gaya po ng Israel at ibang lugar sa Amerika. That is what we’re aiming for. Tama po si Fr. Austriaco, a mask-less Christmas,” he went on.

(That’s why we are aiming for population protection or containment as said by Fr. Austriaco. Because we know that in other countries that achieved containment, they no longer need to wear masks at least outdoors like Israel and some areas in America. That’s what we’re aiming for. Fr. Austriaco is right, a mask-less Christmas.)

READ: DOH eyeing COVID-19 ‘population protection’ in NCR Plus 8 by year-end

Austriaco likewise expressed hope that containment can be achieved as long as the Philippines secures a steady supply of vaccines.

“This is a realistic and attainable goal for all of us. We have to imagine, as a country, a no-mask Christmas. Can we have a no-mask Christmas? What will it look like? It will look like what it was before. This is possible,” Austriaco said.

“Israel showed that once you attain containment you do not even have to have herd immunity, the average daily attack rate has to fall between 1 and 100,000, that is about 100 cases per day in the NCR. When that happens, we can begin to lift social distance and masking arrangements. This is something that we can imagine,” he added.

/MUF