Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles urged the public to remain vigilant and to continue strictly following COVID-19 health and safety protocols amid the arrival of COVID-19 vaccines that are now being administered to the country’s health workers.
The Davao native stressed that while the arrival of the vaccines is a welcome development in government efforts to contain COVID-19, it should not give Filipinos a false sense of security.
“I hope ang mga kababayan natin are not complacent. Huwag natin isipin na ‘o, nandiyan na ‘yung vaccine so pwede nang pagala-gala, pwede nang hindi na mag-comply,” said Nograles.
According to Nograles, the increase in the daily number of new cases should give the public pause and compel them to be more cautious in the days ahead even as the government rolls out the COVID-19 vaccines.
“Kailangan doble ingat because we’re seeing the numbers and those numbers show that it’s worrisome,” said the former legislator.
“But, again, the power really belongs to all of us. If we continue to especially conform to the health protocols, especially sa prevention, then that will really help us along the way. So nasa kamay po natin.”
The Palace official stressed that the government’s PDITR ( prevention, detection, isolation, treatment and reintegration) approach to the outbreak starts with prevention and this requires the participation and cooperation of the public.
“It starts with prevention. Kailangan we have to really strictly enforce the prevention mechanisms natin.”
