The Interior Department has warned that an India-like COVID-19 surge in the Philippines can happen if the public will continue to defy health protocols.
DILG Spokesperson and Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said that at least 50 people tested positive from the virus in various super spreader events in Quezon City.
“I’m pleading for discipline. Let’s exercise discipline,” Malaya said at an online briefing. “If we do not exercise discipline, we will have an India scenario especially with the variants from other parts of the world,” he said.
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Malaya said that the Philippine government has so far inoculated 4 million people. But the figure is relatively low compared to the target herd immunity of vaccinating 50 million people.
“It’s already a record but still far from herd protection. So from now until herd protection, we need to be very careful,” he said partly in Filipino,” he said.
“Otherwise we’re looking at an India scenario for the Philippines. We can no longer afford that because our economy contracted 4.5 percent at the beginning of the year,” he added.
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An investigation is underway over superspreader events in Quezon City. Around 600 people were tested for the virus and 50 of them yielded positive results.
Eighteen of those tested are awaiting results, while 31 were already admitted in the city’s quarantine facilities.
“Investigation is still ongoing but we would like to emphasize that mass gatherings, especially during a pandemic, are banned. We appeal to the public to please stop conducting these mass gatherings,” Malaya said. (TDT)
