Don’t ease virus protocols, WHO warns Manila
MANILA: A senior World Health Organization (WHO) official on Tuesday cautioned the government against relaxing the basic protocols to stop the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in Metro Manila, pointing out the vaccination coverage in this region of more than 13 million people has remained “inadequate.”
Dr Rabindra Abeyasinghe, the WHO resident representative to the Philippines, cited the urgent need maintain the strict protocols to prevent the “worsening” COVID-19 transmissions, warning these could overwhelm the existing health system.
“We have a significant problem of coverage within the NCR (National Capital Region). I believe it’s about 60 per cent now. But this is not adequate,” Abeyasinghe told a televised media hearing.
NCR is the official name for Metro Manila, composed of 15 cities and one town.
Abeyasinghe aired the warning following the government announcement to shit its policy by pilot testing in Metro Manila the granular lockdown strategy with an alert level system starting on Sept.16. The policy is far different from the citywide or region-wide lockdown earlier imposed to contain the spread of the virus.
In the new policy, the granular lockdown is to be imposed on say, a street or even a building in a “barangay” (village) where an outbreak of COVID-19 infections has been noted. Complementing the localized lockdown is an alert system to determine which the types of establishments like businesses or religious services will be allowed to operate.
Health officials earlier announced that close to six million residents or about 60 percent, of the targeted population of about 10 million (from the total population of 13 million) have been fully vaccinated.
But Guido David, a fellow of the independent OCTA research group, has expressed grave concern over the continuing rise in the number of new daily COVID-19 cases in Metro Manila.
Experts blamed the increase on the highly infectious Delta variant of COVID-19, which was first detected in India, but which has emerged as the dominant strain in the Philippines.
David’s concern arose from the record-breaking number of more than 26,000 daily COVID infections reported on Sept.11.
“This is very serious, 9,061 (of the total) is a record for the NCR. The daily average has increased to 6,063, higher than the peak last April,” he said.
In this light, WHO’S Abeyasinghe warned: “If there is a further increase in the current transmission levels, it could (mean) an overwhelming of the hospital system. That’s why we should need to be very careful in recalibrating on how we are to respond to the current situation.”