THE Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) directed local government units (LGUs) to be proactive in implementing extra efforts to urge the unvaccinated and those eligible for booster doses to get their coronavirus disease (Covid-19) shots especially following the detection of the highly contagious Omicron BA.4 subvariant.
DILG Secretary Eduardo Año said LGUs must maximize their resources in seeking the unvaccinated and booster-eligible individuals by scouring their areas.
He stressed that the newly detected subvariant can evade immune protection from prior infection and even Covid-19 vaccines especially when its efficacy waned over time.
He said despite the transition of power to the newly elected officials, LGUs must be ready to mobilize all its resources to further boost their Covid-19 vaccination in the light of the new subvariant present in the country.
“We direct all LGUs to be proactive in its vaccination efforts and seek these people who are eligible for inoculation. The Department of Health’s (DOH) detection of BA.4 signals the need for a more aggressive action to ensure that the people are vaccinated and protected against this highly contagious variant of Covid-19,” he said.
“Kung kinakailangang katukin ang bawat bahay para malaman kung sino ang dapat bakunahan, iyan po ang gawin natin,” he added.
(If there’s a need to knock at every house to identify who needs to be vaccinated, then we will do it.)
He said LGUs must maximize the function of their Local Covid-19 Task Forces (LCTFs) and the Barangay Health Emergency Response Teams (BHERTs) in their vaccination efforts, as well as the conduct visits in the homes of individuals possibly inflicted with Covid-19; initiate contact tracing; and report, on a daily basis, the condition of prospective and confirmed Covid-19 cases, among others.
Año reiterated the earlier pronouncement of the DOH that while the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has not observed any severity in BA.4, faster transmission will lead to a spike in cases that could overwhelm the country’s healthcare system.
“The LGUs have the existing tools to help them in identifying their constituents who must be vaccinated. We hope na gamitin nila ito to their advantage para mas marami pa ang mabakunahan,” he said.
DILG spokesperson Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya, for his part, said that aside from getting Covid-19 vaccination, the public should continue to adhere to minimum public health standards (MPHS), especially the wearing of face masks and observance of physical distancing to avoid coronavirus transmission.
He said these safety protocols have already been proven effective in preventing the spike of cases amid the country’s fight against Covid-19 over the past months.
“Maging matiyaga sana tayong mga Pilipino sa pagsunod sa MPHS lalo na kapag tayo ay nasa pampublikong lugar (Let us follow the MPHS especially if we are in public places). We have seen how compliance to the MPHS, together with our vaccination program, led us to the downgraded Alert level in the country. Sana ay ma-sustain natin (I hope we can sustain it),” he said.
On Saturday, May 21, the DOH announced the detection of the first BA.4 subvariant in the country from a returning overseas Filipino who arrived in the Philippines on May 4 from the Middle East.
The patient was confirmed positive with the more transmissible variant from a specimen collected on May 8. He was asymptomatic.
The ECDC said the Omicron BA.4 has been seen as a variant of concern and its presence together with BA.5 could cause a significant overall increase in Covid-19 cases in the European Union in the coming weeks and months. (SunStar Philippines)