By Alec Go
The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) called on all citizens to get their COVID-19 vaccine booster shot once they are eligible to receive it.
MMDA Chairperson Benjamin “Benhur” Abalos Jr. said in the government program Laging Handa briefing on Saturday (Jan. 15) that the country has a sufficient supply of vaccines, including booster doses.
“Pero kami ngayon ay gusto ko lang i-emphasize at this point na ang talagang binibigyang pansin po namin, ang booster shots na,” he said.
“Kaya sa ating mga kababayan, maski na tayo ay dalawa na ang ating bakuna… [Mas] maganda na kung panahon na ng booster ninyo ay magpabakuna na kayo para talagang fully protected po tayo,” he said.
Aside from boosters, he said approximately 200,000 individuals have not yet received any dose of a COVID-19 vaccine in the National Capital Region (NCR). This is despite the country’s sufficient vaccine supply.
Earlier, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) instructed all barangays to conduct an inventory of unvaccinated individuals following President Rodrigo Duterte’s pronouncement to restrict their mobility.
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) will also begin implementing the “No vax, no ride” policy on Monday (Jan. 17) which only allows vaccinated individuals and several exempted persons to take public transportation.
Abalos said the move to limit the movement of unvaccinated individuals is a means of protection, citing a Department of Health (DOH) data that 85% of those admitted in hospitals and 93% of the fatalities are unvaccinated.
Meanwhile, the MMDA and NCR officials have decided not to impose curfew hours in the region in the meantime, saying that the public has learned to self-regulate amid the rise in the number of cases.
“Noong kami ay nag-usap noong nakaraan, nakita namin sa larawan na halos siguro alas otso ng gabi, halos sarado na ang mga restaurants sa mall, ang mga tao ay halos kakaunti na rin ang mga nasa kalye,” he said.
The Alert Level 3 in Metro Manila has been extended until the month’s end. The current healthcare utilization in NCR, which is part of the alert level metrics, is at 55% for intensive care units (ICU), 52% for isolation beds, and 69% for ward beds. – bny
