COVID-19 task force to heed Metro mayors' decision on alert level shift

National Task Force (NTF) Against COVID-19 chief implementer Carlito Galvez Jr. on Tuesday said he would back the National Capital Region (NCR) mayors if they recommend a shift to Alert Level 1.

“Paguusapan po natin ngayong Thursday, yung itong tinatawag nating pagde-escalate ng Alert Level 1 to Metro Manila. Sa amin po nakita naman po natin medyo maganda naman po ang situwasyon bumababa po ang mga kaso at saka mataas po ang vaccination rate ng ating Metro Manila," Galvez said in an interview with GMA's Balitanghali.

(We will discuss this on Thursday, on the possible de-escalation of Alert Level 1 in Metro Manila. For us, we have seen that the situation is quite good, the number of cases is decreasing and then the vaccination rate in Metro Manila is high.)

"Sa akin po walang problema po yun basta nirecommend ng mga NCR mayors na Alert Level 1, we will support it,” he added.

(For me, there is no problem as long as the NCR mayors recommend shifting to Alert Level 1, we will support it.)

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) on Tuesday said local government units (LGUs) in the NCR are ready to shift to Alert Level 1.

Under Alert Level 1, intrazonal and interzonal travel shall be allowed without regard to age and comorbidities. All establishments, persons, or activities, are allowed to operate, work, or be undertaken at full on-site or venue/seating capacity provided it is consistent with minimum public health standards.

COVID-19 vaccination drive among elderly 

Galvez, who is also the country’s vaccine czar, said he is also in favor that at least 80 percent of senior citizens and persons with comorbidities should be vaccinated in an area before it can be downgraded to Alert Level 1.

“Yung mga lugar at cities na talagang tumutupad sa ating vaccination program, yung matataas coverage sila po yung mauunang mag-Alert Level 1 at mas maganda po kasi ‘yon dahil pangdepensa po natin yun just in case mag-open up tayo ng restrictions,” he said.

(The areas and cities that really comply with our vaccination program, those with high coverage of vaccinated individuals will be the first to go to Alert Level 1 and it will be better because vaccination is our defense just in case we open up restrictions.)

“We are making sure na lahat ng tao natin majority po ay 80% po dito ay vaccinated, ang nakita po kasi natin sa mga seniors sila po ang most vulnerable so kailangan po talaga natin na macapture po sila,” he said.

(We are making sure that all our people, the majority, should be 80% vaccinated, because our senior citizens are the most vulnerable, so we really need to inoculate them.)

During President Rodrigo Duterte's weekly Talk to the People on Monday, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III on Monday said 80 percent of senior citizens and persons with comorbidities should be vaccinated in an area before it can be deescalated to Alert Level 1.

Galvez acknowledged the challenge of administrering COVID-19 jabs to the elderly population due to their vaccine hesitancy.

“Nakikita po natin sa latest survey po natin halos lahat ng age group mababa po yung hesitancy mga more or less 5 percent, 6 percent, 8 percent pero pagka dumating po tayo sa 59 and above nakita po natin nagdodouble digit po siya mga 14 percent, so nakikita natin may challenge po tayo sa mga seniors,” Galvez said.

(We saw in our latest survey that almost all age groups have low vaccine hesitancy about more or less 5 percent, 6 percent, 8 percent but for age group of 59 and above we see double digit, about 14 percent, so we have a challenge in giving COVID-19 jabs to seniors.)

Meanwhile, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año on Tuesday said the next wave of national COVID-19 immunization drive would be dedicated to senior citizens.

The government has yet to pick a date for the next national vaccination drive. But as it plans to fully vaccinate 90 million Filipinos by the end of President Duterte’s term in June this year, Año said they would prioritize inoculating the senior citizens.—Richa Noriega/LDF, GMA News