Malacañang is hoping that the Aug. 6 to 20 enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in Metro Manila will be the last lockdown in the Philippines.
Palace spokesman Harry Roque, in a virtual presser, said the government could fulfill its wish if it ramped up its vaccination rate.
“Ang gusto lang po natin, we hope that this will be our last ever lockdown. Bakit po? Kasi tumataas na iyong numero ng ating pagbabakuna,” Roque said.
While he doesn’t expect the Covid-19 pandemic to end in an instant, Roque said having a large number of the population vaccinated could prevent lockdowns in the future.
“Inaasahan po natin na…iyong mga nangyayari sa mga bansa kagaya ng Israel at Estados Unidos ay mangyayari rin dito maski tumaas pa ang numero, hindi na po sila nagkakasakit ng seryoso o hindi na namamatay,” the spokesman said.
According to Roque, Covid-19 cases in Metro Manila increased by 65 percent this week, making the lockdown tinely.
He also said that P13.1 billion was allocated for 10.7 million Filipinos who would be affected by the lockdown.
Metro Manila has recorded more than 534,000 Covid-19 cases. John Ezekiel J. Hirro