Gov’t to set requirements for LGUs shift to Alert Level 1
CLARK FREEPORT— The Philippine government is mulling to impose certain requirements that local government units need to comply with if they want to deescalate their restrictions to Alert Level 1.
National Task Force Against COVID-19 Chief Implementer and Vaccine Czar Secretary Carlito G. Galvez Jr., said that LGUs must fully vaccinate a major segment of their eligible population and senior citizens first before they are allowed to shift to the loosest restriction level.
“So ‘yung way forward po natin, we need to restrategize and require the LGUs to vaccinate at least 70 percent of the eligible population and 80 percent of the senior population,” Galvez said.
“Ito po ay gagawin nating parang requirement or incentivize those who are having ‘yung higher coverage na at least puwede po silang magkaroon ng Alert Level 1 like in the NCR,” he added.
As of February 20, Metro Manila has already fully vaccinated over 100 percent of its target population, and 83.82 percent of its target senior citizens.
Nationwide, only 69.31 percent of the target senior population are fully vaccinated. Around 2.5 million senior citizens remain unvaccinated.
According to Galvez, the country has already reached a saturation point in its vaccination program, which resulted in a dramatic decrease in the nation’s daily output which now stands at less than 500,000 jabs.
In order to address this concern, he said there is a need for LGUs to ramp up their vaccination output through barangay-to-barangay and houseto-house vaccination drives.
“Na-reach na rin po natin ang saturation point o ‘yung tinatawag na inflection point sa ating mga vaccination centers at kailangan na po tayong bumisita sa mga bara-barangay at magbahay-bahay para maiangat muli ang ating daily output,” Galvez said.
“We will also continue to concentrate on the remaining 3 million seniors and with people with comorbidities. At ‘yung NVOC-DOH po natin ay naglagay na po ng mga focal person per region para matutukan at ma-achieve nila ang at least 70 percent coverage ng kanilang eligible population,” he added.
Galvez also noted the slow rollout in the administration of booster shots. As of February 20, the government has administered 9,709,375 booster shots and additional doses.
In light of this development, the NTF has directed the 12 regions with higher vaccination coverage to shift their focus on the administration of booster shots.
The remaining regions, on the other hand, were instructed to further ramp up their vaccination output to catch up with other regions. These include Region V, CARAGA, MIMAROPA, Region XII and the BARMM.
President Duterte also renewed his calls for Filipinos to get their booster shots as an added layer of protection against the virus.
Aside from the positive effects of vaccination, Galvez commended the unique sense of Filipinos’ Bayanihan spirit that was on full display during the vaccination rollout for children. The vaccine czar mentioned that this manifested when he met a doctor in Basilan, who returned to the country despite her employment abroad.
“Sa Basilan, mayroon po akong nakitang isang doktor na cum laude doon sa isang medical school sa Saudi Arabia at talagang nag-volunteer po doon siya sa Basilan na nagpadeploy,” Galvez said.
“So we would like to really congratulate those medical professionals na gusto nila talaga doon sa mga baryo ma-assign at tuwang-tuwa po sila na nag-contribute po sa national vaccination po natin,” he added.
Galvez also reported the successful turnout during the first two weeks of the vaccination rollout for children aged five to 11.
The vaccine czar said that for the nearly 438,000 children that were vaccinated, only 68 minor side effects were recorded and all of them were treated immediately.
As of February 20, the country has administered a total of 134,032,674 COVID-19 vaccine doses. Of this number, 62,506,113 Filipinos are already fully vaccinated or 69 percent of the 90-million individuals targeted for inoculation by the end of the second quarter.