Asks IATF to come up with guidelines and list of allowable industries for fully vaccinated persons in Metro Manila
(Eagle News) – The Metro Manila Council (MMC) has agreed on a resolution requesting the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) to allow some activities for the fully vaccinated in Metro Manila.
This was revealed by San Juan City mayor Francis Zamora in an interview with Balitalakayan on Thursday night, Sept. 9
“Nagkaroon po ng unanimous decision ang Metro Manila Council upang aprubahan ang isang resolusyon kung saan kami po ay nanawagan po sa IATF na payagan po sa ilang activities ang ating fully vaccinated citizens,” Zamora said in the interview.
Zamora said that the council’s resolution did not specify the businesses or industries, “except that we are requesting for the IATF to come up with guidelines.”
He said that for him, these industries could be “low-risk business establishments and industries.”
“Puedeng simulan muna sa low risk business establishments, industries, upang unti-unti na ring bumalik ang sigla ng ating ekonomiya,” Zamora said.
The mayor pointed out that Metro Manila already have a high percentage of vaccinated individuals.
He said that resolution is “more of a general call for the IATF to release a list of allowable businesses and industries.” He said this could be an incentive for the fully vaccinated to allow to engage in some low-risk activities or businesses.
“Yung aming resolution walang ini-specify na industries or businesses,” Zamora said.
-How the new alert levels work-
He also explained how the alert levels in granular lockdowns would be implemented.
The alert levels would determine the percentage of the opening of the businesses or establishments in cities.
It involves the so-called three Cs: closed areas, crowded areas, and those that require close contact in their businesses.
Under Alert Level 4, establishments that fall under these three Cs cannot operate. Under Alert level 3, such establishments can operate under a 30 percent capacity. Under Alert level 2, the allowable operation of these establishments are up to 50 percent; and under alert level 1, such establishments are allowed to operate with full capacity.
-Call to refine the alert level classification-
Zamora also asked the IATF and the Department of Health to further refine the criteria on how a city is classified in the alert level system.
He cites as an example his city, San Juan, where hospitals also accept COVID-19 patients from other cities or areas. In fact, he said, majority of those confined at the San Juan Medical Center and at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center, are patients whose addresses are outside San Juan City.
“Yung bilang ng mga kasong hindi taga San Juan ay ibinibilang as San Juan patients. Kaya tumataas po ang alert level ng San Juan. Gayon din po ang nangyayari sa buong Metro Manila… Kaya po nananatiling mataas po ang alert level ng Metro Manila,” he said.
He is calling on the DOH to refine its criteria to have a more accurate determination of alert levels, by looking into the place of residence of patients confined in hospitals in the cities of Metro Manila.
“Puede namang i-tag ang pasyente batay sa kanyang place of residence. Kung saang lungsod kayo doon dapat mapunta ang datos,” Zamora said.
San Juan City has 909 active cases as of Sept. 9, but only four are severe, while three are critical. San Juan City has already achieved herd immunity as it had already fully vaccinated more than its target population.
In fact, 146 percent of its target population are already fully vaccinated.
(Eagle News Service)