Vice presidential aspirant Senator Christopher “Bong” Go has urged the public to remember to abide by the minimum health and safety protocols set by the government to ensure that the fight against the COVID-19 would be successful even as authorities gradually ease pandemic-related restrictions on movement and economic activities.
Go, who chairs the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, pointed out the fight against COVID-19 is a “shared responsibility” and no individual should be lax on standard health protocols.
The senator reiterated it is important to address first the spread of the virus in helping the government navigate and balance the reopening of the economy.
“Habang lumuluwag ang mga patakaran dahil sa ating patuloy na pakikipag-bayanihan at mga epektibong hakbang na ating ginagawa laban sa pandemya, patuloy naman akong umaapela sa lahat na huwag magkumpyansa (While restrictions have been eased because of the ongoing attempts to help implement effective mechanisms to fight the pandemic, I continue to appeal for us not to be complacent),” Go said in a statement.
“Delikado pa rin ang panahon habang nandiyan pa ang banta ng COVID-19 (It is still not safe because the COVID-19 threat is still here),” he added.
“Kaya habang unti-unti nating ibinabalik sa normal ang ating pamumuhay, huwag nating isawalang-bahala ang mga sakripisyong naipundar natin nitong nakaraang taon para marating ang puntong ito (While we are slowly going back to our normal lives, let’s not forget the sacrifices we made during the last year to reach this),” he appealed.
On November 5, the government downgraded the alert status in Metro Manila, a hot spot of the pandemic, by one notch to Alert Level 2.
Under Alert Level 2, local businesses can operate at 50 percent indoor venue capacity for fully vaccinated individuals and 70 percent outdoor venue capacity, provided that the workers are fully vaccinated.
Likewise, amusement parks, cinemas, libraries, museums, parks, recreational venues and venues for social events for wedding receptions and parties are also permitted to open for the first time in over a year.
With the holiday season fast approaching, Go urged the public to continue observing public health standards by avoiding large gatherings in order to maintain the gains made in controlling the pandemic.
“Just because we are slowly making great strides to bring back normalcy in our lives, this does not mean we can be complacent. The more we see the light at the end of the tunnel, the more we should remain disciplined and focused on our collective goal of overcoming this crisis as a united and more resilient nation,” he said.