COVID-19 Crisis: Rollout of 2nd booster shots for immunocompromised patients of Metro Manila is ongoing

For the residents of Metro Manila who need another booster shot for COVID-19, the national government and strategic partners have officially launched the rollout of the 2nd booster shots specifically for the immunocompromised patients, GMA News reported. Take note that last week, multiple brands of COVID-19 vaccines were approved as 2nd booster shots.

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

The administration of second COVID-19 booster shot for the immunocompromised population is set to begin in the National Capital Region (NCR) on Monday, April 25, 2022.

In a message to reporters, the Department of Health (DOH) said the Philippine Children’s Medical Center (PCMC), Tala Hospital, Valenzuela Medical Center, and the city government of Makati are scheduled to begin the rollout of the second booster shot within the day.

More vaccination sites will start administering second boosters as the days progress, the DOH added.

The National Vaccination Operations Center (NVOC) said on Saturday that it is expecting around 7,000 to 13,000 immunocompromised individuals to take their second booster doses during the first day of its rollout.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently granted the emergency use authorization for the second booster shot for senior citizens, the immunocompromised, and frontline health workers.

The article ended stating that the DOH said that the 2nd booster shot will be given at least 4 months (120 days) after the administration of the first booster shot.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What do you think about this new development? If you have been boosted for COVID-19 already, how long has it been since you got boosted? Were you able to keep your vaccination records that include the first booster shot? Has your local government informed you about the 2nd booster shot? Do you wish that the national and local authorities will soon start administering 2nd booster shots for other patients like the senior citizens, the frontline workers and the rest of the population? Are you worried that officials of your local government unit (LGU) are so occupied with election campaigning, they won’t be able to direct the local vaccination teams to properly release 2nd booster shots?

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

+++++

Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco/

For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673

COVID-19 Crisis: Pfizer, Moderna, Sinovac, AstraZeneca, Sputnik Light and Janssen approved by FDA for use as 2nd booster

The path for boosted patients of the Philippines towards the much-discussed 2nd booster shot (note: the 4th shot following the first two doses and the first booster shot) for COVID-19 is looking clearer as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the COVID-19 vaccines of Pfizer, Moderna, Sinovac, AstraZeneca, Sputnik Light and Janssen for use as 2nd boosters, according to a report by the Philippine News Agency (PNA). Take note that the number of boosted patients nationwide is less than 13 million.

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

Pfizer, Moderna, Sinovac, AstraZeneca, Sputnik Light and Janssen Covid-19 vaccines have been approved as second booster shots by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), a health official said Tuesday.

In a televised public briefing, National Vaccination Operations Center chair Myrna Cabotaje said the FDA has issued an emergency use authorization for the six brands.

The center is still waiting for the review and final recommendations of the Health and Technology Assessment Council (HTAC).

“Ready na ang guidelines, idadagdag lang natin ‘yung provisions ng FDA EUA saka final recommendations ng (The guidelines are ready, we’ll just add the provisions of FDA EUA and final recommendations of) HTAC,” Cabotaje said.

The administration of second booster shot which was originally slated April 20 is expected to start next week.

Healthcare workers, senior citizens, and immunocompromised will be prioritized.

Cabotaje said the second booster shot may be given four months after the first booster dose.

“Gagawin natin sa NCR [National Capital Region] muna, although nagre-request ang Region 3 and Region 4A na isama na sila and then expand natin pagkatapos (We’ll do it in NCR first, although Region 3 and Region 4A have requested to be included and then we’ll expand afterwards),” she added.

In another article published by PNA, Cabotaje stated that booster shots could prevent a possible surge of new COVID-19 cases in the middle of May. She also expressed concern about current low booster shot rate of the nation as a whole.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What do you think about this new development? If you have been boosted for COVID-19 already, how long has it been since you got your first booster shot? Have you contacted your local vaccination team to find out if you are cleared to avail of a 2nd booster shot from them? Do you still remember the brand of vaccine used for your first booster shot?

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

+++++

Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco/

For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673

COVID-19 Crisis: Have you received your booster shot already?

Are you one of the many millions of people here in the Philippines who got fully vaccinated (received two doses of most COVID-19 vaccines) for COVID-19 months ago? By now, you should be eligible to receive your booster shot and I wonder if your local government’s vaccination team contacted you about the said shot. Also, have you taken the effort to contact the local vaccination team about getting boosted?

The reason I ask these questions because only a minority of the Philippines’ fully vaccinated population got boosted and the number of boosted people is growing so slowly as revealed in a Philippine News Agency (PNA) report.

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

An infectious disease expert on Monday urged fully vaccinated individuals to get their booster shots to prevent another surge of Covid-19 cases.

In a televised public briefing, Department of Health – Technical Advisory Group member Edsel Salvaña said that the resurgence of infections is a possibility since Covid-19 “showed surprises worldwide”.

We have tools with which we have turned Covid into almost an endemic virus. Kung mapapagpatuloy pa natin ‘to, wala na pong bagong variant na lumabas, tuloy-tuloy na po ‘yan (If we can continue these, no new variant comes out, these will go on) towards endemicity,” he said.

The administration of a fourth dose for the immunocompromised, Salvaña said, is being studied as data are “still very preliminary” worldwide.

To date, 65,171,415 Filipinos are fully vaccinated while 11,530,728 of them have booster shots.

The vaccination for the pediatric sector also continues to gain momentum, with some 11 million aged 5 to 17 receiving at least one dose.

This number is expected to increase following the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of the use of the Sinovac vaccine for minors, pending the release of the final guidelines.

As seen in the above report, only 11,530,728 people successfully got boosted. That number is only 17.69% of the grand total 65,171,415. Still a very long way to go before the count of the boosted patients even comes close to the grand total.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What do you think about this new development? If you have been fully vaccinated already, how long has it been since that happened? If you have not received your booster shot yet, have you tried contacting the local vaccination team to verify if you are eligible and if there is a booster shot reserved for 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.

+++++

Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco/

COVID-19 Crisis: Las Piñas City earns praise from DOH and MMCHD

The City of Las Piñas is on a roll once again as it as Mayor Imelda Aguilar announced that they earned the praise of the Department of Health (DOH) and the Metro Manila Center for Health Development (MMCHD) for their orderly setup with regards to the vaccine and ancillary storage facilities, the Manila Bulletin reported.

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

Las Pinas City Mayor Imelda Aguilar said the city’s vaccine and ancillary storage areas earned praise from the Department of Health (DOH) and the Metro Manila Center for Health Development (MMCHD) for its orderly setup.

Aguilar said the team of DOH Central Office and the MMCHD Logistics visited the city’s vaccine and ancillary storage areas on March 15.

She said the team composed of Irah Umadac, Ferdinand dela Cruz, Anne Bernabe and Carl Valeriano were escorted by City Health Office (CHO) officer-in-charge Dr. Julie Gonzales, Dra. Eleenor Gumpal and Dra. Anne Jagape, both of the National Immunization Program, during the inspection.

The mayor said the DOH and MCCHD commented that the city’s vaccine and ancillary storage facilities were properly maintained and the vaccines allocated to the city were well accounted for.

It is very nice to hear that the local authorities are doing good work with their vaccine and ancillary storage facilities. While we don’t know yet exactly how many doses of COVID-19 vaccines (including booster shots) are stored, rest assured they have supplies for the locals who need vaccinating or boosting. Take note that the City Government and its strategic partners are still doing COVID-19 vaccine operations around the city and recently their total inoculation count surpassed 1.3 million and to make vaccination more accessible to the locals, they also launched the vaccination bus.

For all the unvaccinated people reading this, any Las Piñas resident who has yet to get registered for the free COVID-19 vaccines can learn the ways by clicking here. Anyone who is ready and willing to register online can click bit.ly/LasPiñasVaccination

Meanwhile, the City Government is already handling the online registration process for COVID-19 vaccination for local minors (aged 5 to 17) which can be done at http://laspinascityonline.laspinascity.gov.ph/eCVRS/

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a resident of Las Piñas City, what is your reaction to this recent development? Are you happy to hear that your city earned the praise of the DOH and MMCHD?

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

+++++

Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/

For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673

COVID-19 Crisis: Booster shots received by ten million people all over the Philippines

As the heavily congested Metro Manila is now on its 4th day under the Alert Level 1 status, people are now enjoying more freedom of movement and the food-beverage business joints are able to accommodate more customers who physically spend time at their respective venues. Along the way, there are some noticeable positive developments about business in the Philippines getting reported. Regardless, there is still the need to keep on following health protocols and face masks are still to be used even though the national daily count of new COVID-19 cases remains relatively low.

There is, however, the need to be vaccinated as well as boosted for COVID-19. No matter how loud the anti-vaccine fanatics rant and complain, nothing changes the fact that COVID-19 vaccines are a major factor on helping the Philippines gradually recover and rise up from this pandemic. More on the topic vaccination, it was revealed that the number of fully vaccinated patients (those who received two doses of most COVID-19 vaccine brands) who got boosted (the 3rd shot/booster shot) has reached ten million, as stated in a recent report by the Manila Bulletin. The number of fully vaccinated people in the Philippines is over sixty million.

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

A total of 63 million individuals in the Philippines have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), but only 10 million individuals have so far received their booster jab, said National Task Force (NTF) against COVID-19 special adviser Dr. Teodoro “Ted” Herbosa on Tuesday, March 1.

Herbosa, in an ANC interview, reiterated the importance of a booster jab despite having been “fully immunized” against the disease.

The idea of the booster is to just increase your immunity. You already have immunity. Let me make that clear: if you are fully vaccinated, your immunity does not disappear but your antibodies actually wane. That’s why the booster shot stimulates your immune system to produce more antibodies against COVID-19,” said Herbosa.

He also added that while it stimulates the immune system in producing more antibodies, it actually gives “additional protection” against the disease and its emerging variants.

Meanwhile, Herbosa disclosed that the booster inoculation is one of the “slow parts” of the country’s vaccination program.

“Kailangan magpa-booster ha. If you have been fully vaccinated, you should get boosted [as well]. This is another slow part of our vaccination program. We’ve vaccinated 63 million but only 10 million have come forward to get their booster shots. Reminder to the public na hindi enough ang two doses, kailangan kumuha rin tayo ng third dose (We need to get boosted. If you have been fully vaccinated, you should get boosted as well. This is another slow part of our vaccination program. We’ve vaccinated 63 million but only 10 million have come forward to get their booster shots. I just want to remind the public that two doses are not enough, we need to get boosted),” he added.

The above report ended stating that based on the Department of Health’s (DOH) National COVID-19 Vaccination Dashboard statistics, 63,188,209 people were fully vaccinated while 10,137,607 people got their respective booster shots as of February 21, 2022. There is still a very long way to go before the booster shot count reaches 60,000,000.

While the Omicron variant does not look like a major problem anymore here in the Philippines, there is still that possibility that another coronavirus variant might come out. Whenever a new variant comes out, concerns or doubts about the protection provided by vaccines always emerge in people’s minds.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What do you think about this new development? Are most of the people in your local community fully vaccinated or boosted for COVID-19 already?

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

+++++

Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/

COVID-19 Crisis: Senator Marcos says DOH should not dismiss parental consent with regards to the vaccination of children

If you are a parent, are you comfortable about the idea that the government will have authority over your kids so that they would be vaccinated for COVID-19? This is the hot issue that a lot of people have been thinking about as Philippine Senator Imee Marcos reacted to a memorandum issued by the Department of Health (DOH) that enables the government to dismiss parental consent related to the efforts of vaccinating minors, according to a Manila Bulletin report. It should be noted that the government just launched a new COVID-19 vaccination campaign aimed at kids aged 5 to 11-years-old.

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

Senator Imee Marcos on Sunday said she is outraged at the Department of Health (DOH) for releasing a memorandum that enables the government to dismiss parental consent if a child is willing to be vaccinated.

Marcos reminded the DOH that the government should not and can’t usurp parental authority.

Government cannot usurp parental authority. Parents have the right to decide on the health and safety of their children,” Marcos said in a statement.

Marcos is referring to the controversial memorandum issued last January 24 stating that the government can act as “parens patriae” – Latin for parent of the nation – when a child wants to be vaccinated but parental consent is denied.

Stated on Page 6 of the memorandum stated that: “In case the parent/guardian refuses to give consent to the vaccination despite the desire and willingness of the minor child to have himself/herself vaccinated, or there are no Persons that may legally exercise parental authority over the child, the State may act as parens patriae and give the necessary consent. Therefore, the proper officer representing the State as parens patriae may sign the consent form. In this regard, the DSWD or its city/municipal counterparts shall serve as the proper office who shall represent the State.”

“The DOH has a lot of explaining to do. This isn’t the first time it committed a gaffe of such magnitude,” Marcos pointed out.

Last December 2021, the government announced it had bought some 15 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine to inoculate children 5 to 11 years old, but they were forced to move the start of the COVID-19 vaccination campaign for minors to Monday, due to logistical problems.

The senator said she hopes that the push to vaccinate children is “really for their sake and not for the sake of vaccine purchases already made.”

Senator Marcos pointed out that government cannot just usurp the authority of parents who themselves have rights to manage and decide on the health of their kids. Think about that carefully…government becoming the authority over the children and rolling over the parents? The government, which itself changes as a result of elections being held every few years, would be the parent or guardian of children on health matters?

Government on any level here in the Philippines is flawed, bureaucratic and cannot move efficiently. Governance itself could reflect the personality or mindset of the elected officials. Regardless, I should point out that no matter what kind of good intentions or grand plans elected officials have for the people, there will always be blunders that will cause inconvenience or even cause harm to the people. Look at the City of Parañaque where their Pfizer vaccine launch last May was so chaotic and heavily covered by the media. On the issue of dealing with their unvaccinated members of their constituents, Parañaque’s restrictions on the unvaccinated still remained in effect even though the quarantine level of control in Metro Manila was officially lowered into Alert Level 2.

On the issue of government rolling over the parents and having authority over their children, there already is resistance as a petition was filed at the Quezon City Regional Trial Court seeking the issuance of a temporary restraining order (TRO) versus the COVID-19 vaccination of minors aged 5 to 11-years-old. The people who filed the petition are parents and their case challenged the constitutionality of the DOH’s Memorandum No. 2022-0041. Clearly the DOH and its top officials have explaining to do.  

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a parent with children aged 5 to 17, are you willing to let government take authority away from you as public officials have the intention of vaccinating minors for COVID-19? Are you concerned that the Philippines is slowly drifting towards tyranny? Do you support Senator Marcos’ stance towards the DOH? Do you think it is time for DOH’s top officials to resign even though the Duterte administration now has only a few months left before the end of its service? Who do you think wrote the DOH memorandum?

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

+++++

Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  HavenorFantasy@twitter.com as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/

For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673

COVID-19 Crisis: Philippines now has 4 cases of Omicron variant

As families enjoyed the Christmas season here in the Philippines, the much-feared Omicron variant made its presence in the country felt again as the Manila Bulletin reported that there are now four Omicron cases counted. This is the result of the latest case that was discovered from yet another airline passenger who arrived from overseas and turned out positive (infected) in the country.

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

The country has detected its fourth case of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) variant Omicron, the Department of Health (DOH) said on Monday, Dec. 27.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a press briefing that the individual is a 38-year-old woman from the United States who arrived in Manila on Dec. 10 via Philippine Airlines flight PR 127. Her nationality was not disclosed.

Vergeire stated she was quarantined upon arrival and on December 13, experienced throat itchiness and colds. During the fifth day of her quarantine on Dec.14, her specimen was collected and her results returned positive on Dec. 15.

She mentioned that the individual was then placed in an isolation facility and was discharged asymptomatic after a 10-day isolation on Dec. 24. She explained that the detection of Omicron came after the woman was discharged from isolation.

She added that the individual remains to be asymptomatic and is scheduled to be retested on Dec. 28.

Currently, according to Vergeire, they are still coordinating with the Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ) and the Department of Transportation (DOTr) regarding the flight manifest. “Rest assured lahat naman po ng dumarating kapag dumating po sila for example galing from US yellow country, they are all quarantine for five days tested on the fifth day, once negative they are sent home but they have to do home quarantine until the 14th day.

She assured that all passengers who arrive from other countries are quarantined upon arrival and are tested on the fifth day. If their results return negative, they are sent home to do home quarantine until the 14th day.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What can you say about this latest development? Do you believe it is time for the national government to close the borders to international flights so that the Omicron variant’s growth in the Philippines can be stopped?

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

+++++

Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/

Muntinlupa City Government reminds residents of firecracker ban

The City Government of Muntinlupa issued a reminder to the public of the ongoing ban on firecrackers and pyrotechnic devices, including open pipe mufflers, and targets to record zero firecracker incident for the upcoming Christmas and New Year festivities.

Mayor Jaime Fresnedi urged residents to use alternative noise-making instruments and not to patronize firecrackers and open-pipe mufflers to celebrate the holidays and New Year’s Eve.

The Muntinlupa City Council passed Ordinance No. 14-092 prohibiting the display and distribution of firecrackers in Muntinlupa as part of its efforts to reduce cases of casualties and harmful effects of pyrotechnic devices to health and the environment.

“It shall be unlawful for any person or business establishment to manufacture, sell or offer for sale, distribute, possess, or use any firecrackers or pyrotechnic device or such other similar devices within the territory of Muntinlupa City,” the ordinance stated.

Fresnedi ordered the local Peace and Order Council, in coordination with Muntinlupa City Police Station, to tighten their monitoring of the use of prohibited firecrackers and put up checkpoints on thoroughfares and marketplaces to apprehend violators.

Violators will be fined with P1,000 up to P5,000 penalty. While commercial establishments selling firecrackers may face revocation of permit and license to operate in pursuant to penalties provided in the ordinance.

Further, the City Government targets to record zero firecracker-related injuries this year following the success of the local ban on firecrackers since 2018. For three consecutive years, Muntinlupa has reported zero casualty and firecracker-related injury.

Recently, the Department of Health – Metro Manila Center for Health Development has lauded Muntinlupa City as a model LGU in implementing the ban on firecrackers in NCR.

While alternative noise-making activities are encouraged, the Muntinlupa Traffic and Management Bureau (MTMB) has announced that those who will use aftermarket mufflers, or removal of such, which emit excessive loud noise and cause disturbances in the holiday season will be apprehended.

“Mahigpit na ipinagbabawal ang paggamit ng Open Pipe Mufflers at iba pang modipikasyon sa Lungsod ng Muntinlupa. Ito ay nakapaloob sa ating ordinansa 04-022 o mas kilala bilang Muntinlupa Traffic Code, Art. III Sec. 9,” the MTMB posted in its Facebook page.

Under City Ordinance 04-22, “no private person shall use sirens, bells, horns, whistles or similar gadgets that emit exceptionally loud or startling sounds.”

Violators will be fined with P2,500.

+++++

The above information was sourced from an official press release. Some parts were changed for this website.

Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  HavenorFantasy@twitter.com as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/

For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673

COVID-19 Crisis: Omicron variant detected in the Philippines according to DOH

The Department of Health (DOH) announced yesterday the that much feared Omicron variant was detected here in the Philippines and it was found in two travelers who arrived not from South Africa (where Omicron was first detected) but from Nigeria and Japan, according to a GMA Network news report.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the statement published by GMA Network. Some parts in boldface…

The Philippines has detected the Omicron coronavirus variant from two international travelers, the Department of Health (DOH) announced on Wednesday.

According to the DOH, one is a returning overseas Filipino who arrived from Japan on December 1 via Philippine Airlines flight number PR 0427.

The other case is a Nigerian national who arrived from Nigeria on November 30 via Oman Air with flight number WY 843.

In a message to reporters, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said one is fully vaccinated against COVID-19 while the other is not.

The DOH said the two cases were detected during the latest run that sequenced 48 samples composed of 21 returning overseas Filipinos (ROFs), one foreign national, and 26 local cases from areas with case clusters.

The sample of the ROF was collected on December 5. He then tested positive COVID-19 on December 7 and was admitted to a facility on the same day.

“He is currently asymptomatic but had symptoms of colds and cough upon arrival,” the DOH said.

Meanwhile, the sample from the Nigerian national was collected on December 6 while his positive result was released on December 7. The asymptomatic case was quarantined on the same day.

“The DOH is determining possible close contacts among co-passengers during the flights of these two cases,” the DOH said in a statement.

The DOH said it is also verifying the test results and health status of all passengers of the flights to determine if there are other confirmed cases or if there are any who developed symptoms after arrival.

Travelers from the flights were advised to reach out to the DOH through DOH COVID-19 Hotlines at (02) 8942 6843 or 1555, or their respective local government units to report their status.

“With the detection of the imported cases of Omicron variant, the Department also urges everyone to adhere to the minimum public standards,” it said.

“Moreover, this holiday season, the public should avoid holding mass gatherings to curb the transmission of COVID-19. The DOH also urges those unvaccinated to get vaccinated,” the DOH added.

Omicron is very much feared overseas not just because it is more infectious, but also because of the secular liberal news media whose reports added to the fear and chaos to the global audience. It spread panic and caused governments abroad to close down their borders in reaction. Very recently, the OCTA Research group expressed its concern about the possible surge of new COVID-19 cases in the event Omicron hits the Philippines. The reality is that the feared new variant is here.

Now that the Omicron variant is here in the Philippines, I encourage you readers – especially those who are based here in the Philippines – to pay close attention as to how the government officials will react to the detection of Omicron in the country. Watch closely the moves of the Metro Manila mayors, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) in reaction to Omicron.

More importantly, I encourage all of you reading this not to panic but come to the Lord and pray to Him for great protection with chapter 91 of the Book of Psalm in the Holy Bible. Don’t hesitate, do it now for your protection, your family’s protection and the protection of the nation. Pray to the Lord in your room with the door shut, pray in tongues to Him, keep practicing Christian habits (click here and here), and keep on seeking Him first and foremost. Always have unwavering faith in our Lord and Savior, Jesus!

+++++

Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/

COVID-19 Crisis: Las Piñas City vaccination count exceeds 1 million!

The City Government of Las Piñas achieved another milestone with its COVID-19 vaccination program as the grand total inoculation has exceeded one million! To be exact, the declared count was at 1,016,684 which covers patients of categories A1 to A5, PA3, booster dose, pediatric and the other adult population.

To put things in perspective, posted below is the official statistics released by the City Government online reflecting data collected as of December 2, 2021.

The most recent statistics released.

As seen above, the total number of patients who got the first dose of the vaccine was at 524,405 (82.1% of the to city population and 117.3% of the target population) while those who got the 2nd dose and became fully vaccinated were 477,868 (74.8% of the city population and 106.8 of the target population). Booster shots, which were recently launched for health workers, senior citizens and the immunocompromised patients, reached 14,601.

With the Omicron variant news reports scaring people and even government officials around the world, this latest achievement by Las Piñas City is very notable. The City Government and its strategic partners worked hard to for many months now on ensuring COVID-19 vaccination. Recently the Department of Health (DOH) praise the City Government.

For all the unvaccinated people reading this, 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

Meanwhile, the City Government is already handling the online registration process for COVID-19 vaccination for local minors (aged 12 to 17) which can be done at http://laspinascityonline.laspinascity.gov.ph/eCVRS/

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a resident of Las Piñas City, what is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think the city’s vaccination count could reach 2,000,000 sometime in 2022?

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

+++++

Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/

For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673