PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has ordered local government units (LGUs) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) to implement existing protocols “with greater urgency and necessity” in the face of the threat posed by the coronavirus Delta variant.
“I urge the DILG (Department of the Interior and Local Government) and the PNP to implement the existing protocols with greater urgency and necessity. It is only by imposing these restrictions that we can fight the threat of Delta variant,” Duterte said in his weekly public briefing on the Covid-19 situation.
Duterte also urged the LGUs to intensify their vaccine information and education campaign to convince more people to get themselves vaccinated.
“The importance of vaccines, you must get the vaccine or you die,” said Duterte.
“So kung ayaw talaga ninyong maniwala eh ‘di huwag na lang kayong lumabas ng bahay para wala kayong mahawa. At kung ganyan ang -- if that is your state of mind, actually to me you are antisocial, para kang galit sa tao. You are antisocial because in face of the danger confronting you and knowing fully well that it is really dangerous, you choose the path of this resistance by just not getting the vaccine at all,” he added.
As of July 18, 2021, a total of 15,096,261 doses have been administered to 10,388,188 individuals, including 4,708,073 who have also received their second dose.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said they were studying to expand the travel ban to include those from Malaysia and Thailand.
The ban, which was imposed as one of the measures to prevent the entry and further spread of the Delta variant in the Philippines, applies to travelers coming from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, United Arab Emirates, Oman and Indonesia.
It was extended again until July 31 with Indonesia joining the list only last week.