Malacaῆang expressed confidence in achieving a “no-mask Christmas” for the country this year amid the arrival of more COVID-19 vaccines.
According to Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, this is possible through an intensified national COVID-19 vaccination program and the cooperation between the government and the public.
“Kaya nga po we are aiming for population protection… kasi alam na natin na sa mga bansang nakamit na nila iyong containment eh hindi na sila nagmamaskara – at least sa outdoors,” Roque said in his June 17 briefing.
Rev. Fr. Nicanor Austriaco, a biological sciences professor, explained in the briefing the National Capital Region (NCR) Plus 8 Exit Strategy from the COVID-19 pandemic and the protection against emerging more transmissible variants.
“This is why I would like to support the science for enforcing a strict 10-day hotel quarantine for international travelers in the NCR and Cebu. Why? Because the science shows that this quarantine is 99.7% effective at preventing variants from entering a country,” Austriaco said.
The biologist said the quarantine period in other countries is longer than that of the Philippines which is a hundred percent effective.
“There is no scientific evidence that a 7-day quarantine would protect us enough from the Indian variant. And if it enters Cebu, it will enter the entire country and it will be catastrophic because we will get another surge and it will destroy Christmas this year,” he said.
He said the variants can be prevented from spreading if the NCR – where outbreaks usually begin – will get vaccinated, noting that the targets are containment or 40% to 50% vaccine coverage and herd immunity or 70% to 80% coverage.
“The reason why we target herd immunity is because when you reach herd immunity, the virus starves, the virus dies, we will return to old normal and even the unvaccinated are protected against the virus, it will be the end of the pandemic,” he said.
The government recently decided to prioritize vaccinating NCR+8 areas, or Metro Manila, Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal, Bulacan, Pampanga, Metro Cebu, and Metro Davao.
The Philippines has already administered 7,563,241 COVID-19 vaccine doses from its 14,205,870 total dose supply.
Aside from the available injectable vaccines being used in the country at present, Austriaco said they are currently forming a scientific team at the University of Santo Tomas “to undertake the animal studies” needed “to apply for clinical trial permissions from the national government.”
Roque assured the President Rodrigo Duterte will offer a prize on the vaccine once it is proved safe and effective. – Report from Mela Lesmoras/AG-rir
