‘No mobility policy’ eyed for unvaccinated — Lopez
Trade and Industry Secretary Ramon M. Lopez said that unvaccinated individuals may not be allowed to leave their houses during lockdowns in the future to ensure that the economy will continue to run despite the imposition of strict health protocols.
Lopez, however, clarified that this policy or protocols can only be adopted if the country has already reached herd immunity and there is enough supply of COVID-19 vaccines in the market.
“Let us prepare for this
policy or protocols in the future,” he said.
The DTI chief explained that there will come a time when the country has achieved the herd immunity or most of Filipinos have been inoculated and there is abundant supply of COVID-19 vaccines already that a lockdown can be implemented and only those fully vaccinated will be allowed to leave their homes while those who are not inoculated must stay home.
He said this is to protect the unvaccinated from getting infected.
He said that other countries with high vaccination rate are moving into that policy in order to reopen their economies during lockdowns.
During General Community
Quarantine (GCQ) or Moderate GCQ (MGCQ), most are allowed to go out and most establishments are allowed to open.
But during hard lockdowns like the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) or MECQ in the future, the plan is to limit the movement of the unvaccinated individuals.
Lopez encouraged those who are still unvaccinated to get their shots in preparation for this future protocol.
Presidential Adviser on Entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion had earlier raised the possibility of adapting a policy that would allow only vaccinated persons to enter a particular building and designation of public transport or buses for vaccinated only.
Lopez added that hard lockdowns are costly to the economy because of the huge “ayuda” that the government has to shell out to the most vulnerable sector.
During the last ECQ in March, the DTI estimated there were 1.5 million displaced in the National Capital Region (NCR) and nearby provinces as closed enterprises rose to 16 percent from 8-10 percent.
In the ongoing two-week ECQ in Metro Manila, the National Economic and Development Authority has projected an economic loss of P105 billion in one week alone.