Concepcion pushes ‘bakuna bubble’

MANILA, Philippines — Presidential adviser for entrepreneurship and Go Negosyo founder Joey Concepcion wants unvaccinated individuals allowed mobility provided they present negative COVID-19 test result upon entry in establishments.

In a statement, Concepcion said the scheme is part of his updated proposal to implement a vaccine bubble in the National Capital Region (NCR).

Concepcion said restaurants, cafés, salons and gyms would be implementing the so-called bakuna bubble by asking vaccinated individuals to present a vaccination card and for unvaccinated persons, a negative antigen or RT-PCR (reverse transcription - polymerase chain reaction) test result prior to entry.

He said he came up with the idea “with the help of Senator Bong Go, and with the inputs of Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra.” He added he and Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Chairman Benhur Abalos “felt that this is the best way to effectively implement the ‘bakuna bubble’ proposal.”

He said the scheme is being proposed for the NCR, which is seen to have 50 percent of the population fully vaccinated by the end of this month.

The proposal is seen as the way for the country to safely reopen the economy while ensuring protection for the unvaccinated.

Data showed that most of those admitted to hospitals for COVID-19 are the unvaccinated.

Concepcion said the proposal is a better approach than having to impose lockdowns to contain the spread of the virus.

“In this way, we can let businesses open safely with the help of more mobility from both the vaccinated and the unvaccinated,” he said.

He said the proposed measures are intended to be sustainable even as quarantine classifications change, even as corresponding adjustments in capacity could be done.

The proposed measures are also not intended to be permanent but are meant to mitigate the negative effects of the pandemic.

“As vaccinations continue to roll out, we can expect people to have more mobility and still be protected from severe infections,” Concepcion said.