COVID-19 Crisis: National Task Force (NTF) aims to fully vaccinate over 70 million people by June 30, 2022

Have you been harassed by anti-vaccine fanatics lately? You better not pay attention to them because the Philippines still needs all the public’s understanding and cooperation to overcome COVID-19’s varied effects (in terms of health, economics and society) and push forward with the national recovery efforts. As part of those efforts, the National Task Force (NTF) announced that it is aiming to have more than 70,000,000 people nationwide fully vaccinated (two shots of most COVID-19 vaccines) by June 30, 2022, according to a GMA Network news report. Take note that this is not to be confused with either the 1st booster shot nor the 2nd booster shot.

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

The National Task Force (NTF) Against COVID-19 is eyeing to get at least 70 million Filipinos fully vaccinated against COVID-19 before the Duterte administration ends on June 30.

During outgoing President Rodrigo Duterte’s Talk to the People aired on Monday night, NTF chief implementer and vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. said their target was based on the data gathered by the National Vaccination Operations Center (NVOC).

NVOC’s figures showed that the country’s average four-week jab rate for the first dose was at 321,083, while 242,606 second doses were administered on average over the same period.

“‘Yung atin pong best case scenario na bago po tayo matapos ang ating administrasyon, ang nakikita po namin ang pinaka-honest-to-goodness na aming assessment sa individuals with at least one dose, 75 million po tayo; and then ‘yung fully vaccinated po ay 70,087,920,” Galvez said.

(Our best case scenario based on our honest-to-goodness assessment is that 75 million people will get their first dose, while 70,087,920 will be fully vaccinated.)

As of June 6, a total 74,221,490 Filipinos have received their first dose, while 69,519,052 individuals were fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

The government earlier set a target of fully vaccinating 90 million by the end of Duterte’s term. However, NVOC chairperson Dr. Myrna Cabotaje said they would already be “happy” if they reach 77 million by then.

Galvez explained that the government originally aimed at vaccinating 70 million Filipinos based on the National Vaccination Plan. However, this figure was increased to 90 million due to the transmissions of new COVID-19 variants such as the Omicron sub variants BA.5, BA.2.12.1, and BA.4 which were recently detected in the country.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What do you think about this new development? If you have received your first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, what was the brand and how long has it been since you got injected? Have you verified with your local community’s vaccination hubs or the local authorities if you are eligible for the 2nd vaccine shot? If there are already fully vaccinated people in your local community, did you notice if they already received their respective 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.

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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/ 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: Muntinlupa City Health Officer claims there is no community transmission and clustering of COVID-19 cases

Even though the has been a slight increase in COVID-19 cases, the health office of the City Government of Muntinlupa declared that there is no clustering of cases and no community transmission locally, the Manila Bulletin reported.

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

The head of Muntinlupa City’s health office said there is no community transmission and clustering of Covid-19 cases in the city despite a slight increase in cases.

“I want to report that we have no reported community transmission and we have no clustering of cases,” said Dr. Juancho Bunyi, head of the City Health Office (CHO), on Monday, May 30, during the flag-raising ceremony at the Muntinlupa City Hall.

As of May 29, Muntinlupa recorded 16 active Covid-19 cases out of 40,030 confirmed cases, 39,400 recoveries, and 614 deaths since 2020.

The CHO reported six new Covid-19 cases, five new recoveries, and zero deaths on May 29.

In the last seven days, Muntinlupa recorded 23 new Covid-19 cases, up from 18 new cases from May 16 to 22.

There were six new Covid-19 cases on May 29, five on May 28, zero on May 27, nine on May 26, zero on May 25, one on May 24, two on May 23.

Bunyi said despite that Muntinlupa is low risk when it comes to healthcare utilization rate, everyone should follow standards including wearing well-fitted masks.

“If you feel something, please isolate and undergo testing. Avoid closed spaces. Take care of ourselves,” he said.

The above report ended stating that people should get vaccinated or boosted whenever they are eligible to do so. Be aware that MunCoVac is organizing the local vaccination and booster shots rollout.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a Muntinlupa City resident, what is your reaction to this recent development? Do you believe that Muntinlupa City will not experience a surge of new COVID-19 cases? Do you think that people in the city are constantly practicing safety protocols?

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/ and on Instagram at https://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

Over 500,000 foreign tourists counted since the borders were reopened

If you are looking for encouraging news about our country and its struggle to rise up from the COVID-19 crisis, be aware that more than half a million foreign visitors have been counted since the Philippines reopened its borders months ago, according to a recent news report by BusinessWorld.

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

FOREIGN VISITORS have totaled 517,516 as of May 25, since the reopening of borders with minimal quarantine requirements in February, according to the Department of Tourism (DoT).

The DoT said in a statement that the US was the top source of arrivals between Feb. 10 and May 25 with 104,589, followed by South Korea with 28,474 arrivals, and Canada 24,337.

Australian nationals, British, and Japanese were next on the list with 23,286; 20,846; and 13,373 respectively,” the DoT said. 

“Other foreign visitors during the early months of the year include Vietnamese, Singaporeans, Malaysians, Italians, Irish and French,” it added.

On Feb. 10, the Philippines started accepting nationals that do not require visas to enter the country. Since April 1, borders have been opened to all nationals

“The DoT is looking forward to an uptick in tourist arrivals in the coming weeks following the further easing of entry requirements,” Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said.

Starting May 30, the DoT said fully vaccinated and boostered inbound foreign visitors will no longer be required to have a pre-departure test for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The looser entry rules are authorized by Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) Resolution No. 168.

However, the DoT said arriving passengers are still encouraged to obtain travel insurance. All types of vaccination certificates, regardless of country of origin, will also be accepted.

“Based on the resolution, the visitor must be at least 18 years old and must have received the primary series of COVID-19 vaccines and at least one booster shot,” the DoT said.

For the newcomers reading this, more tourists from overseas means better opportunities for local businesses to make more money and recover whatever losses they had as a result of lockdowns and quarantine-related business restrictions. Tourism-related businesses like hotels, resorts and connected transportation and food-and-beverage services badly need the spending of foreign visitors.

In relation to this tourism industry development, be aware that there were foreign participants in the recent Subic Bay International Triathlon (SUBIT) which was a big sports even that attracted hundreds of participants on May 1 at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone. Speaking of the said location, I personally saw lots of hotels, restaurants (note: read my feature articles about Gourmet Garage Subic and Xtremely Xpresso), stores and other leisure facilities that operated as if the country is back in the pre-pandemic days. The more foreign tourists coming in plus the more local tourists engage in holidays, special events and travel in the country, the better it will be for local businesses to recover (plus pay their fees, taxes and keeping their hard-working employees longer) and the nation as a whole. I believe that the Philippines will continue to rise socially and economically from the pandemic.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction about this tourism-related development? Do you believe the Philippines will be able to attract 2 million foreign tourists by the end of 2022? Do you run a business that catered to foreign tourists?

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/ and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco/

COVID-19 Crisis: 2nd booster shot recipients in Muntinlupa City exceed 1,400

With the news that the more contagious Omicron subvariant is already present in the Philippines, the need to get vaccinated and boosted for COVID-19 is becoming more urgent. Did any anti-vaccine crazies tried to mislead you from getting vaccinated or boosted? Regardless, in the City of Muntinlupa, it was announced that more than 1,400 people have received their 2nd booster shots (AKA the 4th shot after two doses of most COVID-19 vaccines and one dose as the booster) according to a recent Manila Bulletin news report.

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

The Muntinlupa City government has administered second booster shots to more than 1,400 individuals.

The Department of Health (DOH) has allowed the administration of second booster shots using Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines to immunocompromised individuals, frontline health workers (A1) aged 18 and above, and senior citizens (A2) aged 60 and above.

Data from the City Health Office (CHO) showed that as of May 21, a total of 1,423 individuals have received their second booster shot or fourth dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.

Of the total, 458 are from Barangay Ayala Alabang, 177 from Putatan, 142 from Alabang, 113 from Tunasan, 66 from Poblacion, 58 from Cupang, 35 from Sucat, 18 from Bayanan, four from Buli, and 352 unclassified.

According to the DOH, the second booster shot is given four months after the first booster dose.

The second booster for our health workers and senior citizens will enhance protection given by the first booster and the primary series against all variants, including the recent Omicron subvariant BA.2.12.1. said Health Usec. Maria Rosario Vergeire.

To date, 134,116 individuals in Muntinlupa have received their first booster shot, equivalent to 30.31 percent of the target population of 443,517.

Of the target population, 497,157 are now fully vaccinated, or 112.35 percent of the total.

Anyone in Muntinlupa City who needs to get vaccinated or boosted should contact the MunCoVac via https://www.facebook.com/MunCoVac/

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a Muntinlupa City resident, what is your reaction to this recent development? Are there people in your local community who were boosted already and are eager or interested to get their 2nd booster shot? Have you verified with MunCoVac if you are qualified for the 2nd booster shot? Also, did you notice that people who oppose vaccination often make big claims like “I am not anti-vaccine” and still went on to rant negatively about vaccines and boosters? Have you encountered a local movement of anti-vaccine fanatics lately both in person and online?

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/ and on Instagram at https://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

A Look Back at Exiles #2 (1993)

Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from reading the comic book and doing personal research. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.

Welcome back superhero enthusiasts, 1990s culture enthusiasts and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the mid-1990s which was a really wild time for comic collectors. To be more specific, this newest retro comic book review revisits Ultraverse through the very short series titled Exiles.

It has been years since I reviewed Exiles #1 (1993). Since after, I reviewed a lot of Ultraverse comic books and went through notable storylines such as the Atalon Saga in UltraForce, the Hostile Takeover in Prototype, The Solution, The Night Man and Solitaire, and more. That being said, it was just right that I returned to Exiles for retro reviewing.

With those details laid down, here is a look back Exiles , published in 1993 by Malibu Comics with a story written by Steve Gerber and drawn by Robb Phipps.

The cover.

Early story

The story begins with Exiles members Catapult and Mustang staring at two bodies (a large man and a lady) on the floor. It turns out their mission was a failure as Timmy Halloran (the young guy they tried to save) went missing while his mother just died.

As soon as the two step out of the house feeling bad about their failure, they suddenly find themselves confronted by several police officers. Police cars and a helicopter have surrounded the place. Just as Catapult and Mustang turned themselves in, the large man named Bruut suddenly regains consciousness and attacks the police.

The police officers respond by firing several bullets at Bruut which slowed him down. After noticing that Bruut was only regaining his strength, the two Exile members made their moves before the large man strikes the police…

Quality

Inside the headquarters of Exiles. Ghoul’s mentioning of Prime and Hardcase seems to foreshadow his eventual part in UltraForce.

As expected, the storytelling in this comic book really progressed and paid off some of the build-up that happened in issue . Here, the conflict between the Exiles and the enhanced forces of business tycoon Victor Kort got clearly defined and what they have in common other than having enhanced beings is their pursuit of individuals who carry within their bodies the Theta virus which unlocks unexpected powers or capabilities. Such developments could impact the people and the world around them when left unguarded or deliberately developed with assistance of guidance.

Amber, who was a key figure in issue , appears much less in this comic book but her purpose with the Exiles gets more elaborated. The lack of spotlight on Amber is not surprising as the creators had to emphasize the conflict between the titular team and Kort’s forces while also introducing Timmy Halloran as a new Theta-carrying individual.

There is a good amount of superhero spectacle here and along the way, the dialogue is good and got witty as well. By the time I reached the end, I found myself anticipating what would come next in issue .

Conclusion

The two Exiles members take on Bruut right in the presence of police officers.

Exiles (1993) is a worthy follow-up to its predecessor and the creators succeeded in making the conflict more engaging while cleverly releasing new details that defined what is at stake and what could follow. In retrospect, Amber Hunt later became a key figure in the 2-part Break-Thru crossover storyline (which was memorably drawn by the late George Perez) and the story here defined how much impact super beings can have on societies filled with mostly people who don’t have super powers or special talents. The conflict between the Exiles and Kort’s forces not only got emphasized a lot, their respective agendas and resources are also well defined.

Overall, Exiles (1993) is recommended.

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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/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco/

COVID-19 Crisis: Rollout of 2nd booster shots for senior citizens and health workers in Las Piñas City officially starts today

In case you missed the official announcement, the City Government of Las Piñas and its partners officially will launch today the rollout of 2nd booster shots specifically for senior citizens and health workers as part of the local campaign on protecting the constituents from COVID-19.

To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the May 20, 2022 announcement published on the City Government’s Facebook page. The excerpt was translated from the Tagalog version and some parts in boldface…

Vice Mayor April Aguilar met today with the doctors of the City Health Office headed by Dr. Julie Gonzalez to lay out the city’s preparation for vaccination of Senior Citizens and Health workers of their 2nd Booster shot to start (Monday) May 23,2022.

Vice Mayor knows very well the procedure of vaccination of 2nd booster and emphasized that Mayor Mel Aguilar wants to reach (out) and explain well to everyone what needs to be known to clear the doubts of our patients (and countrymen).

(Patients under categories) A1 and A2 who are eligible for a 2nd booster will receive a text message to state the location and time of their vaccination. Vice Mayor Aguilar also suggested reopening community sites in Verdant Covered Court, Golden Acres Covered Court, Almanza Uno Covered Court, San Antonio Covered Court, Bambusetum Covered Court, Gatchalian Covered Court and T. S Cruz Covered Court as additional vaccination sites to be used for the 2nd booster shot.

Besides this, the local government is also preparing the Chikiting BakuNation that will be held on May 30 until June 10, 2022 in the whole Metro Manila including Las Piñas. The program aims to vaccinate babies aged 0 to 23 months. Vaccines that can be vaccinated in infants are as follows: BCG or TB vaccine, Penta-hib or 5in1, Oral Polio and measles vaccine. In order to reach more quickly to parents with children of the same age, Vice Mayor instructed City Health to make the vaccination a house-to-house where the personnel and medical staff of each barangay health center will perform of this to their constituents.

The local government encourages everyone to cooperate with city health programs that will increase safety and prevent diseases that may spread this season.

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

Local residents who have been fully vaccinated but still have not received booster shots are welcome to contact the local authorities to determine if they are eligible for booster shots or not.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a Las Piñas City resident, have you been boosted for COVID-19 already? If you were boosted, how long has it been? Have you tried contacting the local authorities to find out if you are already eligible for a 2nd booster shot? Also, what can you say about the vaccination of younger minors in the city?

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

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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/

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: Almost 1.4 million vaccine shots registered and over 200,000 patients boosted in Las Piñas City

For the first time since March, the City Government of Las Piñas finally released through their Facebook page an update about their collective statistics about COVID-19 vaccination which includes initial and 2nd booster shots (2nd booster shots started in April and walk-ins for such shots were accepted).

To put things in perspective, posted below are the latest COVID-19 vaccination statistics updates as of May 17, 2022.

The latest statistics as of May 17, 2022.

As seen in the above statistics, the city’s grand total number of jabs recorded reached 1,388,759 with the number of fully vaccinated patients reaching 574,438 and the number of patients who received booster shots counted at 212,560. The number of patients who received 2nd booster shots totaled 374.

Regarding minors, the number of fully vaccinated patients aged 12 to 17-years-old reached 55,237. For the age-group of 5 to 11-years-old, the total number of fully vaccinated patients was at 21,221.

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

Local residents who have been fully vaccinated but still have not received booster shots are welcome to contact the local authorities to determine if they are eligible for booster shots. Meanwhile, it has been announced that booster shots are effective against the much-reported Omicron subvariant which is now present in the Philippines.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a Las Piñas City resident, have you been fully vaccinated already? Are there many fully vaccinated patients among the members of your local community who still have not availed of their respective booster shots? Are there many boosted patients in your community who could be waiting for their 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.

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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/ and on Instagram at https://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: Almost 500,000 fully vaccinated in Muntinlupa City

In the progressive city of Muntinlupa, the City Government recently announced that more than 495,000 people have been fully vaccinated for COVID-19, the Manila Bulletin reported. For the newcomers reading this, fully vaccinated means getting injected with two doses of most brands of COVID-19 vaccines.

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

The Muntinlupa City government reported that the total number of fully vaccinated individuals in the city has reached more than 495,000, exceeding the target population.

Data from the City Health Office (CHO) showed that as of May 11, there are 495,414 people who have been fully vaccinated in Muntinlupa, equivalent to 112 percent of the target population of 442,517, or 80 percent of the total population of 553,146.

Of the 495,414 fully vaccinated individuals, 131,589 have received their first booster shot, or 30 percent of the target population.

In addition, 216 immunocompromised individuals have been given their second booster shot.

Among 12 to 17 years old, 39,724 have been fully vaccinated, or 70.31 percent of the total population of 56,499.

In addition, 13,869 five to 11 years old have been fully vaccinated, equivalent to 20.34 percent of the total population of 68,198 for the age group.

What was achieved in Muntinlupa City is indeed a positive development and even though there was a surge of new COVID-19 cases in the Philippines during the 1st quarter, the national economy actually expanded by 8.3% in the said time period. The real challenge for the Philippines as a whole is to have more people boosted for COVID-19.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a Muntinlupa City resident, what is your reaction to this recent development? Are there still some members in your local community who have not been fully vaccinated or boosted?

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/ and on Instagram at https://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

Foreign sports delegations at 31st SEA Games are not required to make COVID-19 health declarations upon arrival

The 31st Southeast Asian Games (AKA the 31st SEA Games, SEA Games 31 and Hanoi 2021) in Vietnam is just eight days from formally opening and here are the good news for the foreign sports delegates coming for the said games – they are not required to make COVID-19 health declarations upon arrival, according to a VietnamPlus.vn news report. To be clear, an urgent notice by the national authority was issued.

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

The Vietnam Sports Administration (VSA) has been asked to inform all foreign sports delegations to the upcoming SEA Games 31 about the suspension of the COVID-19 health declaration requirement at Vietnamese border gates, according to an urgent notice.

The notice was sent by the Ministry of Health’s General Department of Preventive Medicine, requesting the VSA to report to the SEA Games 31’s organising committee and inform other regional delegations about the new policy.

All arrivals in Vietnam no longer have to submit health declarations, starting from April 27, the Ministry of Health has announced.

Previously, the ministry has issued a guideline for COVID-19 control measures during the region’s biggest sport event, saying that any guest who holds a position of the deputy ministerial level or above, as well as heads and deputy heads of sport delegations will neither need to show negative COVID-19 testing results when entering Vietnam nor take tests after arrival. Also, they do not need to go into mandatory quarantine.

Sport officials, referees and athletes are required to have certified negative RT-PCR/RT-LAMP testing results taken within 72 hours or rapid antigen testing within 24 hours before entering Vietnam, but not to quarantine.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What do you think about this latest move by Vietnam in relation to its hosting of the 31st SEA Games? Do the words “all arrivals” make the declaration confusing to 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.

For other SEA Games-related articles, click here, here, here, here, here and here.

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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/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco/

COVID-19 Crisis: Muntinlupa City rollout of 2nd booster shots ongoing

If you are a resident of Muntinlupa City who has been boosted for COVID-19 and many months have passed since then, be aware that the rollout of 2nd booster shots is ongoing within the city (starting with the immunocompromised patients with the other types of patients to follow), according to the Manila Bulletin. Now is a good time to contact the local authorities or the local vaccination sites (MunCoVac) to find out if a 2nd booster shot is available for you.

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

The Muntinlupa City government has started giving second booster shots on April 26 to immunocompromised people.

Data from the City Health Office showed that 14 people were vaccinated with the second booster shot on the first day.

Of the 14, four were in Barangay Alabang, three each in Cupang, Putatan and Tunasan, and one in Poblacion.

As of April 26, a total of 128,361 fully vaccinated individuals have received their first booster shots in Muntinlupa.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued on April 13 the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) approving the second Covid-19 vaccine booster shot to senior citizens, immunocompromised people and frontline healthcare workers.

According to the Department of Health (DOH)), the second booster shot is being given “in cognizance of current evidence of waning immunity and protection from severe disease.”

The DOH announced that the immunocompromised population aged 18 and above will be the first to be given a second booster shot, and frontline healthcare workers and senior citizens will follow.

Under a DOH memorandum, immunocompromised individuals are classified as those with immunodeficiency state, HIV, active cancer or malignancy, transplant recipients, undergoing steroid treatment, patients with poor prognosis / bed-ridden patients, and other conditions of immunodeficiency as certified by a doctor.

The vaccine brands to be used for the second booster shot are Pfizer, Moderna, Sinovac, Sinopharm and AstraZeneca.

The second booster shot is administered three months after a person receives the first booster shot or third dose.

To find out if you are qualified for the 2nd booster shot in Muntinlupa City, visit the MunCoVac Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/MunCoVac/

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a Muntinlupa City resident, what do you think about this recent development? How long has it been since you received your booster shot? Have you checked what is the definition of immunocompromised under the Department of Health (DOH)?

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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