Just when the COVID situation seemed to be improving, the new year is opening with a return to tighter restrictions in the National Capital Region beginning today. Alert Level 3 was imposed as the NCR saw a sustained increase in new COVID cases in less than two weeks.
Twice last year, the NCR had returned to strict lockdowns amid deadly COVID surges driven by the Alpha and Beta variants during summer, followed by the virulent Delta in August. The Delta-driven enhanced community quarantine aimed to save the economy in the fourth quarter, traditionally the peak consumption season in this country.
Combined with intensified COVID vaccination, cases began going down, fueling an economic revival in time for the Christmas season. By the time December rolled around, cases had dropped so low that the Christmas shopping crowds in many areas approached the pre-pandemic holiday crush. Holiday parties also resumed, and children relished their return to the freedom of the outdoors. Unfortunately, to the dismay of health professionals, compliance with COVID safety protocols including the most basic – masking and physical distancing – became considerably weakened.
It didn’t take long before the worst fears of the health professionals started to be realized, and for the government to respond accordingly. After over a week of seeing a steady spike in new infections, and amid the detection of the highly transmissible Omicron variant in the country, the government has reverted the NCR to Alert Level 3 until Jan. 15.
This means the suspension anew of many economic and leisure activities that had only recently been allowed to resume, and a reduction in capacities for many businesses as well as public transport and religious gatherings. In-person classes are also suspended beginning today in the NCR.
An increase in crippling granular lockdowns can be expected along with stricter enforcement of health protocols such as masking and distancing. Police personnel are not only enforcing the protocols but may also assist in the inspection of hotels used for quarantine following the breach by a Filipino who returned from a trip to the United States and went to a dinner and party in Makati. Gwyneth Ann Chua is now in isolation after testing positive for COVID, with most of those at the party now reportedly also sick.
For nearly two years now, the consequences of infection and lockdowns have been drilled into everyone on the planet. The human toll and ruinous economic cost of COVID have been dreadful. With the renewed restrictions to prevent yet another looming surge, it is the responsibility of everyone to ensure that Alert Level 3 will not be wasted.