As Metro Manila deescalates to a less restrictive lockdown starting August 21, Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion is confident that giving the fully vaccinated greater mobility than the unvaccinated would help spur economic growth in the country.
“The fully vaccinated can create some kind of economic activity,” Concepcion said in a statement Friday, August 20 as the country continues to battle the coronavirus pandemic.
Concepcion earlier proposed the formation of "safer bubbles" in Metro Manila by allowing only fully vaccinated people to enter malls, restaurants and other similar establishments once there is enough fully inoculated people in the region. Also proposed was a "transport bubble" where buses only for vaccinated individuals will be deployed.
The mobility of the unvaccinated people, on the other hand, must be limited for the protection of their health based on Concepcion's proposal.
“It’s a definite win,” Concepcion said about curbing the movement of the people who have not been vaccinated.
"With more vaccines coming in today, and with the aggressive rollout of inoculations, this is something that can be done,” he said.
By imposing movement curbs on the unvaccinated, Concepcion recently said this would help protect them from the illness since "they are the most vulnerable ones." Citing an example, he said unvaccinated employees should travel only between their house and workplace until they are fully inoculated.
Concepcion said a safe reopening of the economy would depend on protecting the unvaccinated and preventing a backslide into more lockdowns.
“We must preserve the gains of the lockdowns,” he said. “Things are now in motion to make this our final lockdown," he added.
The Palace earlier said the government may look into Concepcion's proposed bubble concept once Metro Manila reaches population protection, or 50 percent of the eligible population have been vaccinated. Based on vaccination numbers in the capital region, around 41 percent of the targeted populace have received their COVID-19 jabs.
Metro Manila will shift to modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) from August 21 to 31 but with some prohibitions on indoor and outdoor dining, personal care services such as beauty salons and barbershops as well as limiting religious gatherings to online. Laguna and Bataan will also shift to the same quarantine until the end of the month.