Concepcion: Time For New Measures As People's Patience Over Community Quarantines Running Out

Speakers and panelists during the Let's Go Bakuna Town Hall entitled 'Public-Private Discussion on Safe ways to Open the Economy in the Age of Community Quarantines’

Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship and Go Negosyo founder Joey Concepcion, together with Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Benhur Abalos, led a discussion with various government officials and members of the business community in a town hall entitled, ’Public-Private Discussion on Safe ways to Open the Economy in the Age of Community Quarantines.’ The discussion was attended by implementers of the COVID-19 response program of the government and Metro Manila mayors, with over 1,000 business owners and also viewed by more than 100,000 audiences across different online platforms.

During the discussion, Concepcion expressed his support to the expected implementation of granular lockdowns across select LGUs in Metro Manila which were identified as high-risk areas.

"The shift to implementation of granular lockdowns is a good idea instead of implementing widescale lockdowns. There is a sufficient level of vaccinated individuals in Metro Manila and I think it is already appropriate,” he said.

He also added that it is necessary to implement a different solution to fight COVID-19 in response to different variants.

"Patience is running out and we have to provide a different solution to help defeat COVID-19,” Concepcion said.

Meanwhile, MMDA Chairman Abalos expressed his support to the proposal of Concepcion, which was manifested last week with the issuance of resolution of MMDA urging the IATF-EID to consider easing the restrictions for fully-vaccinated individuals in Metro Manila.

"We are one with Mr. Concepcion for lessening the restrictions that are still subject of study of scientific data,” Abalos affirmed.

Also, he explained that it might be good to revisit current standards that are being used to reclassify community quarantine restrictions. “We have to find other factors to help us decide,” he added.

On the other hand, NTF COVID-19 Vice Chair and DILG Secretary Eduardo Año expressed his gratitude to the members of the private sector for their understanding, cooperation, and support. Moreover, he said, “we are going to discuss the feasibility of allowing fully-vaccinated access to various services such as dine-in services in restaurants,” he shared.

Meanwhile, NTF COVID-19 Chief Implementer Carlito Galvez, Jr. explained that over 70 percent of fully-vaccinated individuals will be attained in several regions of the country by the end of October, also through the help of vaccine supplies continuously arriving.

"We are also talking with AstraZeneca to negotiate for the supply of third doses of vaccines for the private sector,” he said.

Recently, Metro Manila local chief executives have expressed their support to the proposal of Concepcion to allow more lenient restrictions for the fully vaccinated individuals to help drive the economy in the country’s capital.

With this, Cebu City Acting Mayor Michael Rama shared the current implementation of bakuna bubble in Cebu City.

"The current implementation of the EO in Cebu City protects my constituents. This is the way forward and we want others to follow,” Rama said.

Pateros Mayor Ike Ponce also supported this and said it is timely to adopt the measure in Metro Manila.

"We cannot stay doing the same measure given high vaccination rate in Metro Manila,” he said.

On the other hand, epidemiologist, senior technical adviser, and head of Epimetrics, Inc. Dr. John Wong presented the strategy for a safe return to workplaces as well as the three-phase strategy for the vaccination across the country for the unvaccinated who are either willing but waiting for their turn, unwilling for various reasons, or still undecided.

"We have to increase access and improve communication strategies, so we can convince those who have yet to take their vaccines when it's their turn,” he added.

OCTA Research Group fellow and UP Professor Guido David meanwhile presented that we still have not reached the desire decrease in the number of cases in the country.

"There may be decrease in the number of cases but the growth rate of COVID-19 cases has stalled in Metro Manila,” he said.

In support, University of Santo Tomas Professor of Biology and of Theology in Providence College (USA) Fr. Nicanor Austriaco said that NCR did not reach yet the full hospital capacity in Metro Manila. Instead, he said that it is the hospitals’ staff who are getting maximized.

"I agree with Dr. Guido that it is the nurses and the medical workers who are getting overwhelmed by the increased number of those getting hospitalized from COVID-19 and hospital capacity is far from getting maximized,” Fr. Austriaco stressed.

"If the vast majority of those getting hospitalized are unvaccinated Filipinos, then NCR will be crushed,” he added.

To conclude, Concepcion said that they will continue supporting all initiatives for the country’s survival. “Vaccination will definitely protect us and this is the way forward,” he ended.