COVID-19 – Page 29 – Author Carlo Carrasco

COVID-19 Crisis: Almost 9,000 minors registered for COVID-19 vaccines in Muntinlupa City

September 22, 2021September 21, 2021carlocarrasco

Since it officially launched the online registration process for local minors (12 to 17-years-old) for COVID-19 vaccination, the City Government of Muntinlupa announced that almost nine thousand minors have been registered according to a Manila Bulletin news report.

To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the Manila Bulletin report. Some parts in boldface…

Nearly 9,000 minors from 12 to 17-year-olds have already signed up for the Muntinlupa City government’s vaccination registration program.

According to the city government, from Sept. 14 to 20, or in one week after its launch, 8,812 people belonging to the 12-17 age group are now registered.

The total translates to 16 percent of Muntinlupa’s total population of 55,391 of 12 to 17-year-olds based on the 2020 Census of Population and Housing data from Muntinlupa’s City Planning and Development Office.

When the vaccination registration for minors was launched last Sept. 14, a total of 3,477 minors registered.

By barangay, out of the 8,812, Putatan has the highest number of registrants with 1,623, followed by Tunasan, 1,218; Poblacion, 1,153; Alabang, 978; Cupang, 781; Sucat, 570; Ayala Alabang, 493; Bayanan, 484; and Buli, 154. Non-residents who registered totaled 1,358.

Of the 55,391 population of 12 to 17-year-old in Muntinlupa, Poblacion has the highest number with 12,243 followed by Putatan, 10,164; Alabang, 7,244; Tunasan, 6,256; Cupang, 5,830; Sucat, 5,744; Bayanan, 3,990; Ayala Alabang, 2,560; and Buli, 1,360.

As of Sept. 17, the Muntinlupa City COVID-19 Vaccination Program has administered 554,197 vaccines.

A total of 324,690 individuals have received their first dose, or 84.2 percent of the target population of 385,725. In addition, 233,866 people are now fully vaccinated, or 60.6 percent of the target.

The country’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had earlier agreed to amend the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) given to Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines to make them available for use for 12 years old and above.

However, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a media briefing on Sept. 20 that there is no recommendation yet from experts to vaccinate those belonging to the 12 to 17 years age bracket.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a Muntinlupa City resident and a parent of a child aged 12-17, what is your reaction to the above news?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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270 people apprehended in Parañaque City for online sabong

September 21, 2021September 20, 2021carlocarrasco

The latest Parañaque City crime news are here and not only was it about a relatively new form of gambling but it also involved a few hundred suspects! Two hundred and seventy suspects to be precise according to a news report by the Manila Bulletin.

To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the Manila Bulletin news report. Some parts in boldface…

Parañaque City police apprehended on Saturday 270 individuals for playing online “sabong” (cockfight) and for failure to observe social distancing.

Prior to the suspects’ arrest, the police received information about mass gatherings inside the Roligon Mega Cockpit Arena on Quirino Avenue in Paranaque City, according to city police chief Col. Maximo Sebastian.

Sebastian said cops in the nearby police sub-station were immediately dispatched and found the 270 gamblers playing online sabong.

He said the suspects were immediately rounded up and given citation tickets for violation of the health protocols under the new quarantine alert system.

The city police chief said those who will be caught for the first offense will be fined P1,000, P3,000 second for the second offense, and P5,000 for the third offense.

Sebastian also said the management of the arena failed to show a permit to operate online sabong.

He said the owner of the arena claimed they have a permit from PAGCOR and that their online sabong was just a dry run.

The above report ended stating that according to the police, any form of gambling is illegal under the new alert level.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: Do you believe the claim that a PAGCOR permit was really issued and that the online sabong was just a dry run or trial activity? How familiar are you with online sabong (AKA e-sabong)? Are there lots of people in your local community who engage in any form of gambling during this pandemic? Do you think that the criminal elements are building up illegal gambling all over Parañaque City?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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COVID-19 Crisis: Over 550,000 vaccinations in Muntinlupa City registered

September 20, 2021September 18, 2021carlocarrasco

This past weekend the City Government of Muntinlupa announced through its MunCoVac team that it has administered more than 550,000 vaccines as of September 17, 2021.

To put things in perspective, the following statistics released by MunCoVac were recorded as of September 17, 2021:

Total number of individuals vaccinated: 324,690 (note: 12,916 of these were vaccinated in Muntinlupa private companies)

Total number of individuals fully vaccinated: 233,866 (note: 723 of these were vaccinated with in Muntinlupa private companies)

Declared total of vaccines administered: 554,197

According to MunCoVac: 554,197 vaccines have been administered in our city as of yesterday, September 17. 84.2% have had their first dose, while 60.6% of our target population have been fully vaccinated.

As we are nearing the end of the 3rd quarter of this year, we ask all Muntinlupeños to continue following our health protocols, and, go to your assigned vaccination schedule once you have received a text from MunCoVac.

As before, these latest numbers from MunCoVac do not add up. 324,690 plus 233,866 equals 558,556. There is a discrepancy of 4,359.

Residents of Muntinlupa City who remain unregistered and unvaccinated should make a move to get registered by learning the ways to do it. Those who are prepared (with personal information available) and willing to go through online registration for the free vaccines in Muntinlupa are encouraged to click https://vaccine.muntinlupacity.gov.ph/muncovac/

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: Are the remaining unregistered and unvaccinated members in your local community making efforts to get vaccinated? Is there a strong awareness about the Delta and Lambda variants among your neighbors?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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COVID-19 Crisis: Muntinlupa City implements new COVID-19 Alert Levels system

September 17, 2021September 16, 2021carlocarrasco

In connection to the Alert Level 4 rules and guidelines that took effect all over Metro Manila yesterday, the City Government of Muntinlupa formally implemented the new COVID-19 Alert Levels System according to a Manila Bulletin news report.

To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the Manila Bulletin report. Some parts in boldface…

Muntinlupa Mayor Jaime Fresnedi issued guidelines in the implementation of the new COVID-19 Alert Levels System, the new community quarantine classifications in the National Capital Region (NCR) starting Sept. 16.

Under the new classification, Metro Manila is under the General Community Quarantine (GCQ) Alert Level 4 from Sept. 16 to 30.

Fresnedi issued Executive Order No. 40 dated Sept. 15 outlining the various activities allowed and prohibited from Alert Levels 1 to 5, and the implementation of granular lockdowns in communities.

The order is based on the resolution issued by the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on the new quarantine classifications.

According to the executive order and resolution, Alert Level 1 “refers to areas wherein case transmission is low and decreasing, total bed utilization rate, and intensive care unit utilization rate is low” while Alert Level 2 pertains to “areas wherein case transmission is low and decreasing, healthcare utilization is low, or case counts are low but increasing, or case counts are low and decreasing but total bed utilization rate and intensive care unit utilization rate is increasing.”

Areas to be placed under Alert Level 3 are those “wherein case counts are high and/or increasing, with total bed utilization rate and intensive care unit utilization rate at increasing utilization,” while those to be under Alert Level 4 are “areas wherein case counts are high and/or increasing, with total bed utilization rate and intensive care unit utilization rate at high utilization.”

Alert Level 5 “refers to areas wherein case counts are alarming, with total bed utilization rate and intensive care unit utilization rate at critical utilization.”

Under Alert Level 4, according to Fresnedi, the following will not be allowed outside their residence: persons below 18 years old, persons over 65 years old, persons with immunodeficiencies, comorbidities or other health risks, and pregnant women. But they are allowed to go out to obtain essential goods and services, and report for work in permitted industries and offices.

The mayor will have the sole authority to declare an area under granular lockdown, according to the executive order, and he may impose it on an entire barangay, individual house, street, block, purok or sitio, compound, subdivision, village and other gated communities.

Granular lockdown will be in effect for at least 14 days and persons under it will not be allowed to go out.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a Muntinlupa City resident, do you anticipate significant changes to happen locally? Do you think the new guidelines make sense?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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COVID-19 Crisis: Online vaccine registration for minors in Muntinlupa City ongoing

September 16, 2021September 15, 2021carlocarrasco

Recently the City Government of Muntinlupa officially launched the online registration process for local minors (aged 12 to 17) for the free COVID-19 vaccines according to a Manila Bulletin news report. Muntinlupa was one of the six local government units (LGUs) of Metro Manila to engage with such a process. These recent developments are all part of a collective effort to achieve herd immunity.

To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the Manila Bulletin report. Some parts in boldface…

The Muntinlupa City government on Tuesday launched the online vaccination registration for 12 to 17 years old in the city.

This after the country’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines for 12 years old and above.

Mayor Jaime Fresnedi urged parents and guardians to register their children for the Muntinlupa City COVID-19 Vaccination Program (MunCoVac) as protection from the adverse effects of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

He said the registration is intended to create a database of the adolescents’ group eligible for COVID-19 vaccines in preparation for the final guidelines from the Department of Health (DOH).

Muntinlupa residents aged 12 to 17 may register online through the city’s COVID-19 vaccination registration system at www.vaccine.muntinlupacity.gov.ph/muncovac and choose category “C – Rest of Population.”

As of Sept. 8, the Muntinlupa City government has administered a total of 507,964 vaccines, according to MunCoVac.

A total of 192,360 individuals are now fully vaccinated in Muntinlupa, or 49.9 percent of the target population of 385,725, while 319,963 individuals got their first dose, or 83 percent of the total target.

The local government also advised residents who registered online but haven’t received their schedule to fill out a form to be scheduled: https://forms.gle/fEAELhwxURe4aNZU8.

Other residents of Muntinlupa City who remain unregistered and unvaccinated should make a move to get registered by learning the ways to do it. Those who are prepared (with personal information available) and willing to go through online registration for the free vaccines in Muntinlupa are encouraged to click https://vaccine.muntinlupacity.gov.ph/muncovac/

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a Muntinlupa City resident whose child is qualified for the free vaccines due to his or her age, are you willing to have him or her registered for the COVID-19 vaccines?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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COVID-19 Crisis: Alert Level 4 all over Metro Manila from September 16 to September 30, 2021

September 15, 2021September 14, 2021carlocarrasco

Change is indeed coming to Metro Manila starting September 16 as the national authorities announced yesterday (as reported by the Philippine Daily Inquirer) as the entire metropolis will fall under what is referred to as Alert Level 4 in relation to the new guidelines that got ratified by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID).

What can National Capital Region (NCR) residents and stakeholders expect over the 15-day period? To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Inquirer report. Some parts in boldface…

Metro Manila will be placed under Alert Level 4 starting Sept. 16 until Sept. 30, which is the start of the pilot run of granular lockdowns, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said Tuesday.

Año said Metro Manila mayors have agreed to implement just one alert level as a whole “for uniformity and easier enforcement.”

“Yes, under Alert Level 4 because the NCR (National Capital Region) mayors reached a consensus that they will follow one Alert Level only,” he said in a text message to INQUIRER.net.

“For uniformity and easier enforcement within NCR, they agreed to be under Level 4. Hanggang Sept. 30 ang pilot testing,” he added.

Año said the majority of areas in the metro belong to Alert Level 4, anyway, but some qualify for Alert Level 5 while at least two areas under Alert Level 3.

Based on the new guidelines on granular lockdowns, areas under Alert Level 4, which is the second highest alert level in the new system, are those with high and/or increasing COVID-19 transmission and high total bed and intensive care unit utilization rates.

Persons aged below 18 and above 65 and those with health risks, including pregnant women, must stay at home unless they need to access essential goods and services or have to go to work.

Intrazonal and interzonal travel for persons who are not required to stay at their homes may be allowed subject to guidelines of their destination local government unit.

Individual outdoor exercises are likewise allowed in areas under Alert Level 4 for all ages regardless of comorbidities or vaccination status, but they must remain within the area of their residence.

Government agencies in areas placed under Alert Level 4 must remain fully operational while employing at least 20 percent on-site capacity with the rest under a work-from-home or flexible schedule scheme.

Under Alert Level 4, outdoor dine-in services in restaurants and eateries are only allowed at 30 percent venue capacity.

Meanwhile, indoor dine-in services are allowed to open at 10 percent capacity, but they may only cater to persons fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

All workers of these establishments must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Furthermore, LGUs may decrease the allowable capacity for these restaurants and eateries.

Personal care services limited to barbershops, hair spas, nail spas, and beauty salons are allowed at 30 percent capacity “if such services are conducted outdoors regardless of vaccination status.” But if these are indoors, the IATF said they may only operate at 10 percent capacity.

Clients must also wear face masks at all times and all employees should be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

Religious gatherings, meanwhile, can be held on 30 percent venue capacity if conducted outdoors regardless of vaccination status but only 10 percent will be allowed if conducted indoors and they may only accommodate persons fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

Pastors, priests, rabbis, imams, or other religious ministers and the assistants of these religious congregations must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and must observe minimum public health standards.

That was a heavy load of details above. Were you able to read and understand it immediately? If you are having trouble understanding, you are not alone. What I’d like to point out that it is a relief for businesses offering personal care services and businesses in the food-and-beverage industry to be allowed to operate with the declared limits above. For the restaurants, coffee shops and other related food-and-beverage joints, take-out and delivery are still too limiting for their survival.

As for churches allowed to hold faith gatherings, what was stated above is a relief albeit with limitations. The 10% limit on venue capacity for indoor worship services is indeed small even for the fully vaccinated people who want to worship the Lord on-site (which is much more engaging than online worship). The 10% limit for on-site worship will have to do for now in Metro Manila until the end of this month. Whatever the declared limits are, never lose faith in God and keep praying to Him that the national and local authorities will do better and govern knowing that He is watching all of us.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What do you think about the Alert Level 4 status for Metro Manila lasting for the rest of September? If you are a business owner, are the declared Alert Level 4 limitations good enough? If you are a pastor or church organizer, what do you think about the 10% limit on capacity venue for indoor worship? Is the requirement for pastors, priests, rabbis, imams, or other ministers and personnel on churches to be fully vaccinated too imposing on the part of the government and possibly unconstitutional? Do having multiple alert levels look confusing to you right now? Do you heavily trust the Metro Manila mayors and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) over the way they have been managing the metropolis?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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COVID-19 Crisis: Las Piñas City inoculation count now over 700,000

September 14, 2021September 13, 2021carlocarrasco

This past Sunday, the City Government of Las Piñas announced that its overall inoculation count has surpassed the 700,000 mark. Along the way, the number of patients who received their first vaccine dose surpassed 400,000 while the number of fully vaccinated patients in the city exceeded 300,000.

To be more specific, the official count as of September 11, 2021, was 709,368 in total inoculation. As for the breakdowns, 403,191 patients were vaccinated with the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine while 314,888 patients got vaccinated with the second dose.

As before, the numbers of first dose and second dose do not add up to match the declared inoculation total of 709,368. Do the math, 403,191 first dose patients plus 314,888 second dose patients equal 718,079 in all. That’s a discrepancy of 8,711. The discrepancy is around 1.23% of the September 11 grand total.

To put things in perspective, posted below is the official visual reference released by the City Government on their Facebook page on September 5, 2021 and this includes the types of patients who got vaccinated. Also notable is the count of the single-dose Janssen vaccine from Johnson & Johnson.

Any Las Piñas resident who has yet to get registered for the free COVID-19 vaccines can learn the ways (4 methods) by clicking here. Anyone who is ready and willing to register online can click bit.ly/LasPiñasVaccination

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a resident of Las Piñas City, are there still people in your local community who have not yet been vaccinated? If you have been vaccinated within the city, would you encourage the unvaccinated members of your local community to get registered to avail of the free COVID-19 vaccines? Does the local use of the single-dose vaccine from Johnson & Johnson interest you?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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COVID-19 Crisis: COVID-19 vaccine registration for minors ongoing in limited Metro Manila LGUs

September 14, 2021September 13, 2021carlocarrasco

The Manila Bulletin reported recently that a few of the local government units (LGUs) in Metro Manila have officially launched the registration for the vaccination of minors aged 12 to 17-years-old.

To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the Manila Bulletin news report. Some parts in boldface…

Six Metro Manila local government units (LGUs) have started the registration of minors, with ages 12 to 17 years, for vaccination against COVID-19.

The six local government units in Metro Manila that started the vaccination registration for minors are Pateros, Makati, Muntinlupa, Manila, Caloocan, and Las Pinas City.

The Las Pinas City government will be using the EZ consult account for the registration of minors in the city.

The EZ consult account is also the same app used by city residents in registering for their vaccination.

The Las Pinas city government said the registration is part of the preparations once the national government approves the vaccination of minors using Moderna and Pfizer vaccines as approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Pateros was the first local government unit that launched the registration of COVID-19 vaccination for minors on September 8.

Residents who are 12 to 17 years old can register using a QR code that can be found in Facebook page of the Pateros municipal government Facebook.

In the capital city of Manila, Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso said that throughwww.manilacovid-19vaccine.ph, parents can either register their children under a single account for the family or register them separately.

In Makati, the city government announced on Friday (September 10) that minors, 12 to 17 years old, may now register for vaccination against COVID-19.

In a Facebook post of the city government, it said that residents of Makati, 12 to 17 years old, can sign up at http://www.covid19vaccine.safemakati.com and a master list will be created for the vaccination of minors.

Makati COVID-19 Vaccine In Caloocan, the city government also started the profiling of minors aged 12 to 17.

Mayor Oca Malapitan said it is important that the vaccination program for minors is prepared as early as possible since they belong to the age group that needs the consent of parents or guardians.

Residents of Muntinlupa City who remain unregistered and unvaccinated can make a move to get registered by learning the ways to do it. Those who are prepared (with personal information available) and willing to go through online registration for the free vaccines in Muntinlupa are encouraged to click https://vaccine.muntinlupacity.gov.ph/muncovac/

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a parent of a child aged 12 to 17, what do you think about the ongoing COVID-19 vaccine registration for minors? What is the single most notable issue about vaccinating minors that concerns you the most right now?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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COVID-19 Crisis: DTI Secretary Lopez pushes for easing of protocols for fully vaccinated people

September 14, 2021September 13, 2021carlocarrasco

Previously, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Ramon Lopez proposed to allow vaccinated people to dine in food-and-beverage joints as well as enter the personal care service establishments during the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ). This past weekend, the Philippine News Agency (PNA) reported that the DTI Secretary is back and called for the easing of protocols for people who have been fully vaccinated and Metro Manila could be the region to have such moves pilot tested within.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the PNA article. Some parts in boldface…

Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Ramon Lopez has endorsed tweaking of community quarantine protocols by allowing more mobility for fully vaccinated individuals.

During President Rodrigo Duterte’s Talk to the People aired over the weekend, Lopez told Duterte that “it is about time to change our protocol” in terms of easing some restrictions for the vaccinated population.

“We were discussing the need to have (a) different approach in terms of solving Covid-19 (coronavirus disease 2019); not just lockdowns,” he said in mixed English and Filipino.

The DTI chief said under the new protocol, fully vaccinated individuals could be allowed in restricted economic activities, such as dine-in services in restaurants and personal care services.

He said this would allow safe reopening of the economy as fully vaccinated people have protection against the Covid-19.

People with complete vaccines are unlikely to develop severe to critical Covid-19, he added.

“These are labor intensive. These sectors, there are 2 million individuals employed in dine-in restaurants. In salons, there are around 400,000. This is nationwide,” Lopez said.

The trade official said this could be pilot tested in Metro Manila, as the National Capital Region has more than 50 percent of its eligible population for Covid-19 vaccines already got their jabs.

The above article ended stating that the guidelines of the protocol are being finalized. It is very clear that lockdown and restrictions on businesses result a massive loss of income and a rise on unemployment. The DTI Secretary’s proposal is part of an effort to ensure that the Philippine economy will recover and rebound, and if you have been paying close attention to the number of Metro Manila cities that have been vaccinating their patients, there are now millions of fully vaccinated people in the National Capital Region (NCR) combined. In the City of Las Piñas alone, their fully vaccinated patients had reached almost 315,000 as of September 11, 2021. In Muntinlupa City, the number of fully vaccinated patients is almost 200,000.

You travel along Aguirre Avenue inside BF Homes subdivision and you will see lots of restaurants, coffee shops and personal care service providers located along the long road. A lot of them have been struggling because of the prohibition on customers from entering and spending time inside those business joints. You go to Filinvest City in Alabang, Muntinlupa City, and search for a place to have a nice meal at only to be disappointed that you cannot dine inside and will have to order for take-out. Take-out and delivery are the current options that food-and-beverage joints have when it comes to serving their customers but those options are not good enough to help them survive. For me, DTI Secretary Lopez’s proposal makes sense and it will help not only the struggling businesses and the unemployed, but also improve economic activity.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What do you think about Secretary Lopez’s latest move? Do you believe it is time to ease the protocols with the many millions of fully vaccinated people in Metro Manila?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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COVID-19 Crisis: Guidelines on localized lockdowns in NCR ‘provisionally’ approved by IATF

September 13, 2021September 11, 2021carlocarrasco

Are you still disappointed over the extended MECQ (modified enhanced community quarantine) in Metro Manila which was the result of the recent flip-flop by the national authorities? You definitely are not alone as Marikina City’s mayor spoke out against the national government for their flip-flop and the Metro Manila mayors plus the MMDA (Metropolitan Manila Development Authority) issued a resolution urging Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) to consider easing the COVID-19 guidelines for fully vaccinated people in the National Capital Region (NCR).

The current MECQ will last until September 15 and we should not be surprised to see changes happening on the 16^th as the IATF “provisionally” approved guidelines on the pilot implementation of granular lockdowns in Metro Manila according to an article published by the Philippine News Agency (PNA). Speaking of granular lockdown, take note what happened in a certain locked down residential community in Parañaque City.

To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the Philippine News Agency. Some parts in boldface…

The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) has “provisionally” approved the guidelines on the pilot implementation of granular lockdowns in Metro Manila, Malacañang announced on Friday.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, also acting as IATF-EID spokesperson, said the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) policy shift would only impose either the strictest enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) or the general community quarantine (GCQ) with four alert levels in Metro Manila.

“Sang-ayon po dito sa policy shift na gagawin natin, dalawa na lang ang quarantine classifications. Ito po ang ECQ na ipapataw ng IATF o ‘di naman kaya ay GCQ (Based on the policy shift that we will carry out, there will only be two quarantine classifications. These are the ECQ that will be imposed by the IATF or the GCQ),” Roque said in a virtual presser.

He said the localized lockdown that would be pilot-tested in Metro Manila has four levels.

The IATF-EID is still ironing out the details on the implementation of alert level 4, the strictest level, Roque said.

Roque said all areas that would be placed under an alert level system should follow the protocols that are consistent with their alert levels and issued by the National Task Force (NTF) Against Covid-19.

The classification of pilot areas and their alert levels will also be done weekly, unless otherwise specified, he added.

“Lahat po ng areas ay magpapatupad po ng granular lockdowns, sang-ayon po sa guidelines ng NTF. Ang pagkakaiba po nito, itong lockdowns na ito ay mas strikto (All areas will implement granular lockdowns, based on the guidelines of the NTF. The difference is these lockdowns are stricter),” Roque said.

With the implementation of stricter granular lockdowns, health and allied health professionals are the only ones who will be considered Authorized Persons Outside Residence (APOR), he said, noting that government workers in areas under localized lockdown would not be allowed to go out.

“‘Yun pong mga taong gobyerno ay hindi makakapagtrabaho kapag kayo po ay nasa ilalim ng localized lockdown. Hindi kayo pupuwedeng lumabas (Government workers will not be allowed to go out if their areas are under localized lockdown. They cannot go out),” Roque said.

He, however, assured that local government units and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) would provide assistance to households that might be affected by the implementation of granular lockdowns.

“Magbibigay na po ng ayuda ang lokal na pamahalaan at ang DSWD para po hindi na kinakailangang lumabas ng kahit na sino sa mga lugar na naka-granular lockdown (Local governments and the DSWD will give assistance so residents of areas under granular lockdown would no longer need to leave their homes),” he said.

Roque did not mention when the pilot implementation of localized lockdowns would commence.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What do you think about the new guidelines for granular lockdown? Do you believe that the plan of using 4 alert levels for GCQ will cause a lot of confusion? Do you think that the national authorities will be able to finalize and issue the new guidelines before September 15?

How many people do you personally know lost their jobs because of the most recent flip-flop by the IATF resulting the extended MECQ? Do you believe that the IATF, the Metro Manila Council and the MMDA are paying sufficient attention to economic matters like job losses and the affected employees’ loss of income?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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