Editorial

Cebu City Councilor Joel Garganera, Emergency Operations Center chief, sums up his recommendations, thus: “strict enforcement, speedy swabbing and contact tracing, hiring of more medical frontliners, strengthening vaccination and strict enforcement of the executive orders.”

The gradual reopening of the economy early this year after good strides in our fight towards the end of 2020 gained some momentum already. The bummer came after a few upticks in the first quarter and eventually, this Delta-triggered onslaught.

That momentum brought some gains and thus our hesitancy to back down. The balance had to tilt to the economy’s favor while parrying whatever jabs the pandemic throws at us.

“We all know in most countries all over the world, nakikita na unti-unti na rin naman nagbubukas din sila sa kanilang ekonomiya but still they have this kind of restrictions locally,” said Vergeire.

It must be understood that much of the confidence these countries have comes from expansive vaccination programs. In the Philippines, we won’t be seeing the light of day of herd immunity anytime in the immediate future, but we can at least try population immunity, most especially in economic centers.

The decision to implement granular lockdowns could possibly fall all the way on village chiefs, government’s community frontliners. We already have the Barangay Health Emergency Response Teams that connect the community to health facilities. Local officials must internalize this heightened role now that the government is bent on lowering the quarantine levels in all places while the infection waves show no hint of waning. (Sunnex)