Tag: free COVID-19 vaccines

COVID-19 Crisis: Muntinlupa City Hall to require vaccination card or RT-PCR test from visitors

COVID-19 Crisis: Muntinlupa City Hall to require vaccination card or RT-PCR test from visitors

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Following the consensus of Metro Manila mayors to impose restrictions regulating the movement of unvaccinated individuals, the City Government of Muntinlupa will be requiring vaccination card or RT-PCR negative test from the public who will visit City Government offices.

Muntinlupa City Administrator Engr. Allan Cachuela issued a memorandum ordering security personnel in Muntinlupa City Hall and other local government offices to require visitors to present their vaccination card or a negative RT-PCR (reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction) test.

“Please be advised that everyone, including elected officials and department heads, entering the City Government of Muntinlupa (CGM) facilities must be required to present their Vaccination ID with proof that they are fully vaccinated (1st and 2nd dose) or they can present an RT –PCR  test result done within two (2) weeks,” the local memorandum states.

The cost of RT-PCR test will be charged at the expense of the visiting public.

Meanwhile, employees found in violation of the order will be administratively sanctioned in accordance with the CSC rules and regulations. The Muntinlupa City Council is set to pass an ordinance for the tightening of mobility restrictions for unvaccinated individuals.

Muntinlupa City Health Office (CHO) has recorded a significant increase in active cases following the celebration of the holidays and New Year’s Eve. From five (5) active cases last December 20, 2021, it has spiked to 295 active cases last January 3, 2021.

Muntinlupa CHO chief Dr. Juancho Bunyi urged the public to take extra caution and strictly follow the minimum public health protocols amid the increase in COVID-19 cases in the city. Bunyi also appealed to city residents to get vaccinated as protection from the adverse effects of the virus.

City residents may register online through the city’s COVID-19 vaccination registration system via www.vaccine.muntinlupacity.gov.ph/muncovac.

The local health officer earlier advised the strengthening of contact tracers and barangay health emergency response teams (BHERTs) and strict implementation of mandatory quarantine of COVID-19 positive individuals to isolation facilities.

Under City Ordinance 2020-106, all COVID-19 cases including asymptomatic, mild, probable, suspected cases, and close contacts are mandated to undergo quarantine at home or in the city’s isolation facilities if requirements for home quarantine are not met as certified by CHO.

As of January 3, Muntinlupa City has a total of 27,917 confirmed cases, 27,043 recoveries, 579 reported deaths, 1 suspect case, and 60 probable cases.

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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: Metro Manila mayors approve resolution restricting unvaccinated people

COVID-19 Crisis: Metro Manila mayors approve resolution restricting unvaccinated people

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The new year of 2022 is already challenging for the Philippines with the daily count of new COVID-19 infections averaging in the thousands the past few days. For the people who still remain unvaccinated, their movements within Metro Manila will be restricted as the mayors of the metropolis approved a new resolution and Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman Benhur Abalos confirmed it, 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…

Metro Manila (mayors) have agreed to implement a lockdown on all the unvaccinated individuals in the metropolis as part of the measure to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) amid the rising number of cases in the National Capital Region (NCR) in the past days.

Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Benhur Abalos said this was agreed in principle by all the 17 mayors of Metro Manila during the meeting help on Sunday and was embodied on the resolution approved by the Metro Manila Council.

The move is also aimed at protecting unvaccinated individuals, what with the report from the Department of Health that more or less 85 percent of severe cases of COVID it monitored in various hospitals are those who have not been inoculated against the deadly virus.

“This was what they agreed (during the meeting). Those unvaccinated, they shall remain at their residence at all times,” said Abalos in a press briefing on Monday morning, Jan. 3.

He said unvaccinated individuals would only be allowed to go out of their houses if they would buy essential goods like food, water or medicine or avail of essential services that are mostly relating to medical services, energy and work.

While unvaccinated individuals would not be deprived to do exercises, Abalos said their movement would be limited in areas near their homes like inside the subdivision, puroks or even within the barangay.

Abalos also emphasized that unvaccinated (individuals) will not be allowed to travel and even do leisure activities like going to the malls, tourist spots and other popular leisure areas and would be even allowed to dine both inside and outside any restaurants and other dining establishments.

“This is like implementing ECQ (Enhanced Community Quarantine which is the highest lockdown measures) but only for the unvaccinated. This is also for their own protection,” said Abalos.

How about unvaxxed workers?

Abalos explained that work-related activities are exempted from the restrictions that were approved by the Metro Manila mayors for the unvaccinated individuals.

The catch, however, is that unvaccinated workers have to undergo RT-PCR (reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction which is the most accurate test for COVID-19) every two weeks and that they have to present them to their work places as a matter of policy that was ordered by the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of the Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID).

Another problem for unvaccinated workers on this policy is that they are the ones who would shoulder the cost of the RT-PCR which costs ranges from P2,500 to P4,000 per test.

In the event that the RT-PCR result is not readily available as it takes time before the result is obtained, Abalos said unvaccinated workers must undergo antigen test, also at their expense.

Vax card as ‘passport’

During the briefing Abalos emphasized the importance of the vaccination card for those who want to move around Metro Manila and for those who want to enter the National Capital Region.

He said the vaccination cards served as the passports to all establishments–in compliance with the IATF order.

“So you need to carry vaccination cards at all times. And aside from vaccination card, the bearer should also have an identification to verify that he or she is indeed the person in the vaccination card,” said Abalos.

He, however, warned against availing fake vaccination cards, saying they would be punished by existing laws.

The same warning was given to establishment owners that would fail to implement the need to present vaccination cards for their clients and customers.

“We are expecting the malls and other establishments to adjust the protocols… So I appeal to the public to follow these rules as a way of cooperating with the government in the fight against COVID-19,” said Abalos.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What can you say about this latest development? If you are unvaccinated until now, does this latest news compel you to finally go out and join the line for the free vaccines? Do you think the Metro Manila mayors made the right decision with the reported resolution dealing with the unvaccinated? If you are indeed unvaccinated, do you feel oppressed by the Metro Manila mayors’ approved resolution? Do you trust MMDA chairman Abalos at all?

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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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: Alert Level 3 in Metro Manila takes effect today

COVID-19 Crisis: Alert Level 3 in Metro Manila takes effect today

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In case you missed the news, the daily count of new COVID-19 infections around the Philippines has gone up sharply since the last few days of December 2021. On the evening of December 31, it was announced by the national government that Metro Manila will be placed under Alert Level status starting today – January 3, 2022 – until the 15th.

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

The alert level status in Metro Manila will be raised anew from the current Level 2 to Alert Level 3 from Jan. 3 to 15, 2022, Malacañang announced on Friday night.

In a public announcement, acting presidential spokesperson and Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) decided to shift to a more stringent alert level status as the country saw a spike in coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) infections.

“Nakita naman natin sa mga nakaraang araw ay nag-increase exponentially ang mga kaso dahil sa Holiday activities kung saan tumaas ang movement ng mga tao at bumaba ang compliance sa minimum public health standards. Isa rin sa dahilan ang detection ng local cases ng Omicron variant (We saw an exponential rise during the past days because of the Holiday activities where there were increased movement and compliance with minimum public health standards may have been disregarded. Local cases of the Omicron variant were also detected),” he said.

Nograles added that an increase in Covid-19 positive cases is expected in the succeeding days thus, the IATF’s decision

After 12 days of active cases below 10,000, the number increased to 10,418 on December 29 and was at 14,233 by year-end after 2,961 new cases.

The Department of Health also confirmed 10 new cases of the Omicron variant, with three already recovered.

Nograles cited a “high possibility” of local transmission of the Omicron variant.

Under Alert Level 3, establishments or activities shall be allowed to operate or be undertaken at a maximum of 30 percent indoor venue capacity for fully vaccinated individuals only and 50 percent outdoor venue capacity, provided that all workers of the establishments are fully vaccinated against Covid-19.

Movements

Intrazonal and interzonal movement are still allowed, however, reasonable restrictions may be imposed by the LGUs, which should not be stricter as those prescribed under higher alert levels and subject to the oversight, monitoring, and evaluation of their respective Regional IATF.

Those below 18 years of age, and those belonging to the vulnerable population, shall be allowed access to obtain essential goods and services, or for work in permitted industries and offices in accordance with existing labor laws, rules, and regulations. Individual outdoor exercises shall also be allowed for all ages regardless of comorbidities or vaccination status. 2.

Prohibited activities

Meanwhile, the following establishments and activities that are considered high-risk for transmission under Alert Level 3 are not allowed:

  1. Face to face or in-person classes for basic education, except those earlier permitted by the IATF and Office of the President;
  2. Contact sports, except those conducted under bubble-type setup, as provided for under relevant guidelines adopted by the IATF, Games and Amusement Board, and Philippine Sports Commission, and approved by the LGU where such games shall be held;
  3. Funfairs/carnivals and kid amusement industries like playgrounds, playroom, and kiddie rides;
  4. Venues with live voice or wind-instrument performers and audiences such as in karaoke bars, clubs, concert halls, and theaters;
  5. Casinos, horse racing, cockfighting and operation of cockpits, lottery and betting shops, and other gaming establishments, except those that will be allowed by the IATF or Office of the President; and
  6. Gatherings in residences with individuals not belonging to the same household.

Allowed activities

He said allowed activities under Alert Level 3 at a maximum of 30% indoor venue capacity for fully vaccinated individuals only and 50% outdoor venue capacity are the following: 

  1. Venues for meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE);
  2. Permitted venues for social events such as parties, wedding receptions, engagement parties, wedding anniversaries, debut and birthday parties, family reunions, and bridal or baby showers; 
  1. Visitor or tourist attractions such as libraries, archives, museums, galleries, exhibits, parks, plazas, public gardens, scenic viewpoints or overlooks, and the like;
  2. Amusement parks or theme parks;
  3. Recreational venues such as internet cafes, billiard halls, amusement arcades, bowling alleys, skating rinks, archery halls, swimming pools, and similar venues;
  4. Cinemas and movie houses;
  5. Limited face-to-face or in-person classes for higher education and for technical-vocational education and training;
  6. In-person religious gatherings; gatherings for necrological services, wakes, inurnment, and funerals for those who died of causes other than COVID-19 and for the cremains of the COVID-19 deceased;
  7. Licensure or entrance/qualifying examinations administered by their respective government agency, and specialty examinations authorized by the IATF subject to the health and safety guidelines as approved by the IATF;
  8. Dine-in services in food preparation establishments such as kiosks, commissaries, restaurants, and eateries, subject to DTI sector-specific protocols;
  9. Personal care establishments such as barbershops, hair spas, hair salons, and nail spas, and those offering aesthetic/cosmetic services or procedures, make-up services, salons, spas, reflexology, and other similar procedures including home service options, subject to the sector-specific protocols of the DTI;
  10. Fitness studios, gyms, and venues for non-contact exercise and sports, subject to DTI sector-specific protocols. Provided that patrons/clients and workers/employees wear face masks at all 3 times and that no group activities are conducted; and
  11. Film, music, and television production, subject to the joint guidelines as may be issued by the DTI, DOLE, and the DOH.

These activities will be allowed provided that all on-site workers/employees of these establishments and organizers of activities are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and MPHS shall be strictly maintained. There is no objection from the LGU where these activities may take place.

The IATF, he said, instructed the Technical Working Group headed by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority and National Vaccination Operations Center to craft guidelines in the implementation of stricter measures for the unvaccinated individuals.

Metro Manila was under Alert Level 2 for some time and a lot of people and their families have been enjoying the added freedom of movement due to the reduction of restrictions. This, of course, contributed to the crowding at stores and food-and-beverage joints, and the rise of parties or social gatherings during the Christmas season. Along the way, cases of Omicron in the Philippines started to grow. Omicron, which has been magnified by the secular, liberal media organizations and caused a lot of problems worldwide, is feared for being more contagious. Since Omicron is a problem in the country, I can only hope that the national authorities will consider acquiring a new and much bigger batch of the Russian vaccines Sputnik V and Sputnik Light as those vaccines were declared effective against the feared variant.

Other than raising the alert level and putting up more restrictions, the authorities should deal with the Omicron variant fast. I would not be surprised that the local stock market will lose points as long as the Omicron variant remains a problem in the Philippines. For those living in Metro Manila, I encourage you all to pay close attention to the Metro Manila Council (MMC) and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and examine how they will act, react and behave this time around. Let’s observe if those officials won’t be too distracted with pre-election activities related to the May 2022 national and local elections so that they can do their jobs efficiently.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a Metro Manila resident, what is your reaction to this development? Do you think the daily number of new COVID-19 cases will fall to less than one thousand per day by January 15, 2022? Are you afraid of the Omicron variant? Do you think it is time for the government to import more Sputnik vaccines to push back against Omicron-related infections?

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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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: Muntinlupa City to intensify its efforts in reaction to rising cases

COVID-19 Crisis: Muntinlupa City to intensify its efforts in reaction to rising cases

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The City Government of Muntinlupa announced that it will intensify its efforts on dealing with COVID-19 as the number of local cases went up sharply in recent times, according to a Manila Bulletin news report.

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

The Muntinlupa City government will intensify efforts as the number of active coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases in the city reached more than 100.

Data from the Muntinlupa City Health Office (CHO) showed that as of Jan. 1, the active COVID-19 cases in the city rose to 131, an increase of 59 cases or by 82 percent compared to 72 active cases recorded on Dec. 31.

In the last seven days, Muntinlupa’s active cases rose from 20 to 131. The city government tallied 119 new COVID-19 cases from Dec. 26 to Jan. 1 from 27,623 confirmed cases on Dec. 26 to 27,742 on Jan. 1.

The Department of Health (DOH) reported 3,617 new COVID-19 cases in the whole country on Jan. 1, an increase of 656 new cases, or 22 percent, from 2,961 cases on Dec. 31.

According to Dr. Juancho Bunyi, head of the Muntinlupa CHO, the majority of new cases in the city are travelers who came from the provinces to attend family gatherings and people who returned to Muntinlupa.

Bgy. Ayala Alabang, which has jurisdiction over the posh Ayala Alabang Village, posted 16 new cases on Jan. 1, the highest among the nine barangays in Muntinlupa.

Muntinlupa City residents 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, what can you say about this latest local development? Do you think that there are still some members of your local community who remain unvaccinated until 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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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: Slight rise in Metro Manila’s COVID-19 positivity rate was due to holiday frenzy according to OCTA Research

COVID-19 Crisis: Slight rise in Metro Manila’s COVID-19 positivity rate was due to holiday frenzy according to OCTA Research

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As far as Metro Manila goes, the slight increase of the COVID-19 positivity rate was caused not by the media-magnified Omicron variant but by the holiday frenzy according to OCTA Research in an article published by the Philippine News Agency (PNA).

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

The slight increase in Metro Manila’s Covid-19 positivity rate, average daily attack rate (ADAR), and reproduction rate was due to the holiday frenzy and not necessarily because of the Omicron variant, OCTA Research fellow Dr. Guido David said on Monday.

David said it is premature to say that the newest coronavirus variant had something to do with the spike in numbers.

Based on two-week growth rates (TWGR), David reported that the current reproduction number is at 0.85 percent while the ADAR in the National Capital Region (NCR) is at 0.82 percent.

The positivity rate slightly increased to 1.4 percent.

“So, hindi natin masasabi ngayon na Omicron-driven ito dahil nakita rin naman natin ito last year. Siguro doon sa pagtitipun-tipon ng mga kababayan natin kaya kailangan doble pag-iingat lang naman din ang kinakailangan natin (So we can’t really say that it is Omicron-driven because we have seen this last year. The gatherings might have caused this, so we just really need to be extra careful),” he said in a media briefing.

As of Monday, the country has 9,579 active Covid-19 cases, the 10th straight day that the tally was below 10,000.

Four cases of the Omicron variant have been confirmed so far.

Just like last year, David noted that the Covid-19 testing slowed down as laboratories took a break and the recent onslaught of Typhoon Odette affected the operations of some testing centers.

He said a “clear picture” as to how the Covid-19 cases suddenly increased might be available until the first week of January next year.

“Ang nangyari naman noong January this year lang, noong January of 2021, iyong uptick ay bumalik na siya sa normal level. So bumaba ulit siya. Iyon iyong sanang gusto nating makita ngayon na after January, kapag na-resolve na iyong testing, iyong kakulangan natin sa testing at iyong mga closed laboratories ay bababa ulit sa normal levels ang bilang ng kaso. Iyan iyong gusto nating mangyari (So, in January this year, the uptick went back to its normal level. So it went down again. So, that’s what we want to see after January [next year], if we resolved our backlogs in testing and in our laboratories, then the cases will go back to normal levels. That’s what we want to happen),” David said.

David sees no need yet to increase restrictions or push for premature interventions.

“It could just be a holiday uptick, which means na after the holidays, possibly bababa din iyong number of cases and iyong positivity rate (it is possible that the number of cases and the positivity rate will go down),” he added.

As I personally observed, a lot of people and families have been moving around not only because of the Alert Level 2 status of Metro Manila but also because of Christmas-related activities like shopping, touring and dining inside restaurants. I myself saw lots of people moving inside and around Festival Mall and the Alabang Town Center here in Muntinlupa City in the days leading to Christmas. Also there were families who had Christmas parties or small gatherings with relatives. Not even the news about the Omicron variant being present here in the Philippines impacted them. Fortunately for Filipinos, Omicron cases in the country are very few and all of those were detected from passengers who arrived from overseas. As of this writing, the Omicron variant has not been detected in the local population.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What can you say about this latest development? Do you believe OCTA Research’s analysis about the holiday frenzy being the factor behind the slight rise of COVID-19 positivity? Do you personally know people who still remained unvaccinated to this day? Are you aware about Sputnik vaccines being more effective against the Omicron variant (read a related article by clicking here) and that Pfizer’s vaccines are less effective?

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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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: Las Piñas City’s vaccination count gradually approaching 1.1 million

COVID-19 Crisis: Las Piñas City’s vaccination count gradually approaching 1.1 million

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Very recently, the City Government of Las Piñas gave the public an update about their vaccination statistics and it has been weeks since they reached a million vaccinations.

To put things in perspective, posted below is the official update that the City Government release through social media…

The official numbers as of December 26, 2021.

As seen above, the total number of patients who got the first dose of the vaccine was at 538,319 while the number of those who got their 2nd dose was at 508,068. The single biggest group vaccinated for both the first dose and the 2nd dose was the A4 group. The number of vaccinations with the single-dose Janssen vaccine is approaching 9,000. The challenge for the City Government is to vaccinate as many people they could under the over city population (as opposed to the target population). All these numbers are accurate as of December 26, 2021.

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? Are the fully vaccinated members of your local community making efforts to get their booster shots? Are people in your local community aware about the Omicron variant and its presence here in the Philippines?

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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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: Can the Philippines achieve its target of fully vaccinating 54 million people by December 31, 2021?

COVID-19 Crisis: Can the Philippines achieve its target of fully vaccinating 54 million people by December 31, 2021?

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With the new year 2022 just days away, time is quickly running out for the national and local authorities in achieving its goal of having fifty-four million people all over the Philippines fully vaccinated (2 doses of most brands of COVID-19 vaccines). According to a recent article by the Philippine News Agency (PNA), around seven million Filipinos need to be fully vaccinated within the year to hit the target.

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

The Philippines still needs to fully vaccinate seven million Filipinos by the end of the month to meet its target of 54 million and achieve population protection this year.

Based on the data from the national Covid-19 vaccination dashboard, the Philippines, as of Saturday, has administered a total of 105,329,784 doses of vaccines nationwide, with 47,109,449 Filipinos now fully protected and 1,365,827 others have received their booster shots.

Due to the onslaught of Typhoon Odette, the country’s average daily vaccination rate has decreased to 675,567 doses.

Despite a few setbacks on the vaccination program, Presidential Adviser on Covid-19 response Vivencio Dizon earlier said the government remains optimistic that the targeted 54 million fully vaccinated is still achievable with more deliveries of the single-dose Janssen Covid-19 vaccine.

“Iyong ating mga areas na tinamaan ng bagyo, siyempre hindi natin mai-expect na magbakuna sila dahil nga busy sila sa relief at sa rehabilitation. Pero iyong mga ibang lugar naman na hindi tinamaan ng ‘Odette’ ay talagang dapat paigtingin natin at tuluy-tuloy lang tayo (Those areas hit by the typhoon, of course, we cannot expect that they could still vaccinate because they are busy with relief and rehabilitation. But we will continue in areas that are not affected by ‘Odette’),” he said in a previous interview.

Dizon said the government would further ramp up the administration of second doses and single-shot Janssen vaccines, particularly in areas that have not been affected by the typhoon.

“Ang priority nation, lahat ng second dose; at pina-prioritize din natin iyong Janssen vaccines natin dahil isang bakuna lang, isang dose lang ay fully vaccinated na ang ating mga kababayan (All the second doses are our priority, and we are also prioritizing the Janssen vaccine because it is just one injection – in only one dose, our countrymen will be full vaccinated),” he said.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What can you say about this latest development? Do you believe that the national government and local government units (LGUs) can all get their act together to have as many people fully vaccinated even as they are working on vaccinating the newcomers (for first dose) and minors (aged 12 to 17) and injecting the fully vaccinated patients with booster shots soon? Is your LGU moving sluggishly with the local vaccination operations?

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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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 government releases 150,000 Noche Buena packages

COVID-19 Crisis: Las Piñas City government releases 150,000 Noche Buena packages

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In time for Christmas, the City Government of Las Piñas distributed one hundred and fifty thousand Noche Buena packages to specific constituents, according to Manila Bulletin news report. It should be recalled that months ago, Mayor Imelda Aguilar stated that her administration wants Christmas in the city to be joyful (in relation to getting vaccinated for COVID-19) and this latest move by the City Government is an extension of that.

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

The Las Pinas City government distributed 150,000 Noche Buena packages to senior citizens, persons with disability (PWds), and indigent families in the city.

Mayor Imelda Aguilar said the tickets for “Pamaskong Handog” of the local government were already allocated to the 20 barangays in the city since Dec. 18.

Aguilar said the city government aims to finish the distribution of “Pamaskong Hadog” tickets on Wednesday, Dec. 22, so that the beneficiaries will have something to prepare and eat on Christmas eve.

She said it’s been the city’s annual tradition to distribute “Pamaskong Handog” to senior citizens, PWDs and indigent families.

Vice Mayor April Aguilar-Nery speaking to the recipients just before the formal release of the Noche Buena packages at one of the distribution sites. (photo sourced from the City Government’s Facebook page)

“I want all Las Piñeros to have something on their table in celebration of Christmas. In our own little way, the city government can make them happy and celebrate a joyful Christmas,” Aguilar said.

Vice-Mayor April Aguilar has been visiting barangays in the city to ensure the orderly and timely distribution of the Noche Buena packages.

The above report ended stating that each Noche Buena package comes with spaghetti noodles and sauce, condensed milk, fruit cocktail, and three kilograms of rice grain.

A batch of the Noche Buena packages prepared for distribution. (photo sourced from the City Government’s Facebook page)

Apart from encouraging local residents to get vaccinated, the overall count of vaccinations in the city has surpassed the 1,000,000 mark and the number of local active COVID-19 cases went down. There is still the potential threat of the Omicron variant which is present here in the Philippines and no less than President Rodrigo Duterte expressed worry about coming up with the funds to deal with it. While people in Metro Manila are enjoying the freedom to move around under the Alert Level 2 status (much less restrictions compared to Alert Levels 3 and 4), there is still the need to be cautious and follow health protocols.

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 confident that Christmas in your city will be more joyful this year? If you have not been vaccinated, do you plan to get vaccinated during the holidays?

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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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: Metro Manila under Alert Level 2 until December 31, 2021

COVID-19 Crisis: Metro Manila under Alert Level 2 until December 31, 2021

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Good news for people of Metro Manila who are enjoying more liberty to visit friends and families, enjoying shopping and dining, and traveling more! The Alert Level 2 status for Metro Manila, which has been going on for some time now, will remain until December 31, 2021, according to a report published by the Philippine News Agency (PNA).

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

The Covid-19 Alert Level 2 status in Metro Manila will remain for the rest of the year despite the detection of a third Omicron variant case in the country, National Task Force (NTF) Against Covid-19 chief, Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., said Monday.

The vaccine czar said the possible amendment on the alert level status will be based on the epidemiological recommendations of the Department of Health, considering key factors on cases surge and hospitalization rate.

“If the cases are high, including critical cases, and if the attack rate will increase, that’s the time we will raise our alert level,” Galvez said during a media briefing at a mall vaccination site in Taytay, Rizal.

Galvez said there is a continuing decline in Covid-19 cases in the country, with just 9,592 active infections as of Monday.

“Thank God, we maintained the low positivity rate. Actually, there are some areas that recorded less than one percent of positivity rate,” he added.

Still, he cautioned the public against complacency amid the downtrend.

“For now, we will just maintain the alert level, but we will massively accelerate the vaccination. At the same time, we will revisit our preparations in terms of treatment, quarantine facilities, and hospital treatments as well as the responses of the local government units (LGUs),” he said.

Stringent border control measures against the Omicron variant are also in place, added Galvez.

“Though we prepared a good response in terms of stringent border controls, as I’ve said earlier, we expected that,” he said. “The low cases and figures were sustained despite the opening of our economy.”

Galvez thanked anew LGUs and the private sector for proactively participating in the national Covid-19 vaccination days.

“And we have already reached our milestone of hitting 100 million jabs administered nationwide and we are now reaching 40 percent fully vaccinated out of our total population. That’s a huge milestone,” he said.

Secretary Vince Dizon, the Presidential Adviser on Covid-19 Response and NTF deputy chief, said the decision to impose lockdowns or to raise the alert level status should be based on the set parameters of number of cases, attack rate, and the two-week growth rate.

For some people, the move to retain the Alert Level 2 status for Metro Manila is surprising due to the global hardship caused by the Omicron variant (including becoming the dominant strain in the United States) which is already here in the Philippines. Still there is the fact that the daily count of new COVID-19 infections remains in the few hundreds and so far, the Omicron variant has not created a spike of new cases which is good because the Philippines is now at a stage of economic and social recovery after many months of restrictions. By the way, if you were injected with the Pfizer vaccine and are wondering how protected you are from Omicron, better read my recent article by clicking here. For those who got vaccinated with Sputnik V or Sputnik Light, click here and here.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What do you think about this latest development? Does the constant reporting of Omicron-related news make you feel uncomfortable? Do you believe the Alert Level 2 status extension for Metro Manila is the right move knowing that there are a few cases of Omicron here in the Philippines?

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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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: Gamaleya Center’s preliminary study shows Sputnik vaccines are effective against Omicron variant

COVID-19 Crisis: Gamaleya Center’s preliminary study shows Sputnik vaccines are effective against Omicron variant

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Have you been inoculated with the vaccine of Sputnik V or Sputnik Light before? In case you missed the news, the people behind the Russian vaccines made some profound announcements in relation to the Omicron variant which continues to infect a lot of people in many parts of the world (note: a 3rd Omicron case has just been confirmed here in the Philippines). Also revealed were comparisons with other brands of COVID-19 vaccines.

To put things in perspective, posted below is the first of two excerpts from the official press release published on the Sputnik Vaccine website. Some parts in boldface…

Moscow, December 17, 2021 – A preliminary laboratory study conducted by the Gamaleya Center has demonstrated that the Sputnik V vaccine and the one-shot Sputnik Light booster (based on human adenovirus serotype 26, the first component of Sputnik V) are effective against Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant of COVID, providing for better protection when compared to other vaccines.

Heterologous boosting with Sputnik Light is the solution to increase other vaccines’ efficacy, including against Omicron, and extend the booster protection period.

Sputnik Light as a booster significantly increases virus neutralizing activity against Omicron based on sera 2-3 months after revaccination and is a universal booster to other vaccines inducing stronger antibody and T-cell response.

Efficacy of mRNA vaccines has proven to be waning, demonstrated by a number of scientific publications. A Swedish study in The Lancet journal [4] has shown that Pfizer vaccine’s efficacy against Delta is falling to 47% after 4 months, to 29% after 6 months and to 23% after 7 months. The recent study in US among 65+ years olds demonstrated the decrease in mRNA vaccine effectiveness accelerating against Delta after month 4, reaching a low of approximately 20% in months 5 through 7 [5].

Recognizing the waning efficacy of mRNA vaccines, EU, UK, Greece, South Korea and other countries have recommended reducing the boosting period from 6 to 3 months.

Sputnik Light booster is recommended to strengthen efficacy of vaccines against Omicron. Boosting by Sputnik Light as well as heterologous boosting can strengthen and lengthen the quickly waning efficacy of many vaccines in light of combined Delta and Omicron challenge.

Sputnik Light has already been registered in more than 20 countries as a standalone vaccine and a universal booster to other vaccines helping to increase their efficacy (including in Argentina, UAE, Bahrain, Philippines, and San Marino). Sputnik V has been authorized in 71 countries with total population of over 4 billion people.

Sputnik Light has already shown strong results used as a booster in mix & match trials in Argentina. A combination of Sputnik Light with vaccines produced by AstraZeneca, Sinopharm, Moderna and Cansino, conducted in 5 provinces (City and Province of Buenos Aires, as well as Córdoba, La Rioja and San Luis) has demonstrated that Sputnik Light induces stronger antibody and T-cell response as compared to homologous regimen (two shots of the same vaccine). Each “vaccine cocktail” combination with Sputnik Light provided higher antibody titer on the 14th day after administering a second dose when compared to original homogenous (same vaccine as first and second dose) regimens of each of the vaccines.

Authors of a study in Argentina have noted that protection against coronavirus remains stable over at least 4 months following vaccination with the Russian Sputnik V vaccine as a consequence of antibody maturation, resulting in improved potency of antibodies to viral escape mutations. The study results were summarized in an article at https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.08.22.21262186v1

Sputnik Light efficacy data:

  • Sputnik Light has been proven to be safe and highly effective by real-world vaccination data. In particular, data from the Ministry of Health of Buenos Aires (Argentina) has demonstrated standalone efficacy of Sputnik Light between 78.6-83.7% among the elderly (over 40,000 people of 60-79 years old), which is higher than that of many two-dose vaccines.
  • Findings by the Gamaleya Center based on data collected in Moscow have demonstrated Sputnik Light vaccine administered standalone has 70% efficacy against infection from the Delta variant of coronavirus during the first three months after vaccination. The vaccine is 75% effective among subjects under the age of 60. Sputnik V and Sputnik Light are based on a safe and effective human adenoviral vector platform and have not been associated with rare serious adverse events following vaccination, such as myocarditis or pericarditis.

Take note that this is not the first time that the group behind Sputnik V and Sputnik Light claimed their current vaccines are effective against the Omicron variant. Regardless, they went ahead developing a new and upcoming version of the Sputnik vaccine with Omicron in mind.

Going back to the above press release excerpt, the findings (conducted by other studies done by different research groups) exposed the weakness of mRNA vaccines particularly on efficacy against the Delta variant. If mRNA vaccines really cannot protect the vaccinated people from the Delta variant, how can they protect them from the much more contagious Omicron variant?

And now for the other details from the Sputnik Vaccine press release posted in the other excerpt below. Some parts are in bold face. Please read closely…

  • The Gamaleya Center’s recent preliminary laboratory study shows that Sputnik V demonstrates high virus neutralizing activity (VNA) against the Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant and is expected to provide strong defense against severe disease and hospitalization.
  • Sputnik V has demonstrated 3-7x less of a reduction in virus neutralizing activity against Omicron as compared to data from other vaccine producers: 11.8 times decrease of VNA for Sputnik V in contrast with 41 times decrease for Pfizer-BioNTech (according to the study led by scientists from Africa Health Research Institute published on Dec 7, 2021 [1]) and 49-84 times decrease for Moderna (according to the study published by research group from scientific institutes including Vaccine Research Center on Dec 15, 2021 [2]). So far, Sputnik V is showing the best virus neutralization results against Omicron in comparison with other vaccines.
  • The study was conducted using sera with a longer period after vaccination (more than 6 months after vaccination) as an indicator of Sputnik V’s long-lasing protection, in contrast with short studied periods for other vaccines producers (12-27 days for Pfizer-BioNTech and 28 days for Moderna).
  • Sputnik V elicits strong and long-lasting T-cell response, and as 80% of epitopes in the spike protein are not affected by the mutations in the Omicron variant, Sputnik V is expected to provide long-lasting protection against severe disease by Omicron. Sputnik V’s long-lasting T-cell immunity contributes to 80% efficacy against Delta on months 6-8 compared with efficacy of less than 29% demonstrated by certain mRNA vaccines after 6 months.
  • Sputnik Light as a booster significantly increases virus neutralizing activity against Omicron based on sera 2-3 months after revaccination. Virus neutralizing activity against Omicron 2-3 months after a Sputnik Light booster in this preliminary laboratory study is higher than VNA against the wild-type virus 6 months after Sputnik V vaccination. Based on these data the expected efficacy of Sputnik V with Sputnik Light booster against Omicron infection could be more than 80%, as Sputnik V showed efficacy of more than 80% against wild-type virus 6 month after vaccination.
  • 100% of individuals revaccinated with Sputnik Light as a booster developed neutralizing antibodies against Omicron and demonstrated their high level 2-3 months after the revaccination in contrast with only 25% of Pfizer booster recipients showing detectable level of neutralizing antibodies 3 month after vaccination (as demonstrated in the study published by research group from scientific institutes including Institute for Medical Virology (Frankfurt) on Dec 13, 2021 [3]).
  • Sputnik Light booster is expected to provide strong protection against infection, severe disease and hospitalization by Omicron. Sputnik Light booster is recommended to strengthen efficacy of vaccines against Omicron. Boosting by Sputnik Light can strengthen and lengthen the quickly waning efficacy of many vaccines in light of combined Delta and Omicron challenge. Sputnik Light is a universal booster to other vaccines, including Sputnik V. In Argentina, a combination of Sputnik Light with other vaccines has demonstrated its effectiveness as a universal booster inducing stronger antibody and T-cell response compared to a two-shots homologous regimen.
  • Sputnik V and Sputnik Light were developed on the basis of a safe and well-studied over 30 years technology and have not been associated with rare serious side effects as myocarditis or pericarditis.
    • The highest safety and efficacy of Sputnik V and Sputnik Light was demonstrated in more than 30 studies and real-world data publications from more than 10 countries.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What can you say about this latest announcement by the team behind the Sputnik vaccines? Do all the above details convince you to get a Sputnik vaccine as your first dose or as your booster shot? Has the Omicron variant infected people there in your local community?

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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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/