Restrictions could be eased as long as at least 20 percent of the country’s population are fully vaccinated and the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) Delta variant will be prevented, a member of the OCTA Research Group said.
During the Let’s Go Bakuna Town Hall webinar Friday, OCTA Research Group fellow Prof. Guido David said this move would allow the faster reopening of the economy.
“Once we start hitting 20 percent (of the population) fully vaccinated, there could be talks —maybe transitioning to the next normal based on what we are seeing from other countries, especially since we don’t have community transmission of (the) Delta variant here yet. That will allow us to open the economy even faster,” David said.
The private sector, led by Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion, is also recommending to the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) to further ease restrictions in the workplace even before the country achieves population protection.
Concepcion is pushing for “micro herd immunity”, wherein a particular commercial place like an office building would achieve full vaccination of at least 80 percent of its tenants.
The private sector also called the place a “safe space”.
Those commercial establishments with micro herd immunity should be allowed to operate at a higher capacity, he said.
Concepcion said the private sector will be presenting a roadmap to show how the National Capital Region (NCR) Plus at least will move towards the “next normal” in the period of micro herd immunity.
The private sector suggests that for office buildings, at least 80 percent of the employees in the building should be fully vaccinated.
The government should allow 80 percent or close to full operational capacity for these establishments.
For salons, the private sector suggests 100-percent of their employees should have finished their two doses of Covid-19 vaccines for the operation to be allowed at 80 to 100 percent capacity.
For restaurants, all employees should be fully vaccinated. They are requesting the government to allow additional capacity of 20 percent on top of the current capacity.
“You have our commitment that our places are safe. This roadmap will be forwarded to you once we consult all our stakeholders,” Concepcion told the IATF officials attending the same event.
Better Christmas, New Year
Concepcion said with more Covid-19 vaccines expected to arrive in the second half of the year, population protection level, or having 50 percent of NCR Plus population being vaccinated, will be achieved between September and October this year.
He added “micro herd immunity” can be achieved even before Christmas, or from September this year to January next year.
“We have all the necessary inputs to make it happen, and I think it can really happen,” he said.
This month, the first batch of AstraZeneca vaccine ordered by the private sector is expected to arrive.
National Task Force Against Covid-19 deputy chief implementer Vivencio Dizon said the 40 million doses of Pfizer vaccine ordered by the government will start arriving in the country this month.
“With roughly about 500,000 to 900,000 doses this month, and this will be ramped up in the coming months,” Dizon said.
Both the government and private sector expect that the rollout of vaccines will allow Filipinos to have better Christmas and New Year.
Source: Philippines News Agency
