Concepcion rallies support for greater mobility for vaccinated

MANILA, Philippines — Presidential adviser for entrepreneurship and Go Negosyo founder Joey Concepcion emphasized yesterday the proposed greater mobility for fully vaccinated people in the National Capital Region (NCR) once 50 percent of the population is fully inoculated is the way to safely reopen the economy and put an end to widespread lockdowns.

He also said the move, if approved by the government, is not discriminatory as it would only be in place temporarily.

During sn online town hall meeting held yesterday, he said he is hopeful medical advisers and the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) would support his proposal to allow the fully vaccinated to enter malls and different business establishments for the economy to open up safely and to protect the unvaccinated.

“This proposal to allow the fully vaccinated to enter business establishments I think is a way forward, not only to bring down the level of quarantine we have today, but hopefully will end all lockdowns in the future which, as you all know, has created a very difficult environment for all of us trying to run our respective businesses,” he said.

He said the proposal would also protect the unvaccinated as he said many of those being admitted in hospitals for coronavirus disease are unvaccinated.

“Ultimately our goal is to hit herd immunity, and because we are nearing population protection in NCR, hopefully we can finally attain this by September,” he said.

He said the proposal covers NCR since this is where COVID-19 cases are concentrated and accounts for a big chunk of economic activity.

“Once 50 percent of Metro Manila population has been fully vaccinated, considering limiting the mobility of the unvaccinated can be the safer option to open the economy and protect everyone,” he said.

He also said the proposal is only going to be implemented in response to the threat of the Delta variant and until everybody is vaccinated.

Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Chairman Benhur Abalos expressed his support for Concepcion’s proposal and said government would work with the private sector to make it happen.

With 43.5 percent of the NCR’s total population now fully vaccinated, he is optimistic Concepcion’s proposal may be put in place in the coming months.

“I think by the end of the month we can reach 50 percent fully vaccinated individuals in Metro Manila. We’ll do our best to consider your proposal,” he said.

IATF chairman and Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said Concepcion’s proposal is seen to encourage the unvaccinated to finally get inoculated.

In terms of herd immunity, Duque said the nature of the Delta variant has increased the threshold for achieving herd immunity.

“Herd immunity should be at least 87 percent of the population because of the Delta variant,” he said.

Department of Health Epidemiology Bureau medical specialist Dr. Alethea de Guzman said COVID-19 cases may drop at the end of the year, given the ongoing vaccination efforts.

“We can expect case projections to drop around November. The earlier we ramp up our vaccination efforts, the earlier we can perceive the benefits in terms of case reduction and decrease in hospitalization,” she said.

Prof. Guido David of OCTA Research said “there may be a moderate decrease of cases by September and this can be attributed to the lockdown.”

Fr. Nicanor Austriaco, visiting biology professor of the University of Santo Tomas and professor of Biology and Theology in Providence College, said the two-week enhanced community quarantine has slowed down the surge of the Delta variant in the NCR.