House Committee on Ways and Means Chairperson Joey Salceda expressed concern on the rising number of COVID-19 cases in the country.
The Philippines recorded a record high of 7,103 Covid-19 cases today, March 19, 2021, according to the Department of Health. This is highest daily uptick since the pandemic began in 2020.
The House tax chief sees the need for government to improve its vaccination pace.
“That’s why we need a more ambitious pace of vaccination, combined with stricter minimum health standards and stronger healthcare system support… We have not seen logistical preparations for mass rollout. After one year, we have not even seen a unified contact tracing system. Only testing and treatment have seen significant progress. We in Congress are frustrated,” Salceda observed.
He also expressed concern on the implementation of minimum health standards as he described it as “no longer faithfully observed”, attributing this to two factors. First is the “false sense of security in the fact that some vaccines have already arrived” and the second is lockdown fatigue.
However, he reiterated that, “overall, lockdowns may even hurt the country more than help.”
The government and local government units have been implementing granular lockdowns in areas with a high incidence of COVID-19 infection while carefully easing off restrictions to revive the economy. – Daniel Manalastas
