An estimated 30 percent of Metro Manila residents remained unvaccinated against the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Undersecretary for Barangay Affairs Martin Diño disclosed on Saturday, Jan. 15.
“Sa Metro Manila, puwede na kaming pumalo ng 30 percent (In Metro Manila it is possible to say 30 percent),’’ Diño noted when pressed in a GMA News interview on the number of unvaccinated individuals against the virus in Metro Manila.
But Diño also stressed that the herd immunity in Metro Manils is still high.
He added that more people suddenly wanted to be vaccinated after President Duterte instructed the barangay officials to lead their unvaccinated constituents back to their homes and explain that it is for their own protection since they are highly susceptible to get infected by COVID-19.
Critics frowned on the President’s order but the DILG insisted that restricting the mobility of the unvaccinated persons will be done courteously with arrests being the last resort for stubborn and persistent individuals.
The DILG earlier noted that the barangay officials have the power to implement the President’s order being persons in authority adding that the restrictions of the unvaccinated are enforced based on the ordinances passed by the local government units (LGUs).
Despite the high COVID-19 cases in Metro Manila, Diño pointed out that those infected with the virus are mostly asymptomatic or only had mild symptoms with people lining up in the drug stores to buy paracetamol instead of being confined in the intensive care units (ICUs) of the hospitals due to oxygen-deprivation issues.
However, Diño revealed that not all barangays in the National Capital Region (NCR) have submitted the list of residents who have not yet been inoculated against COVID-19.
Diño added that the list of the unvaccinated individuals will help the government in determining how many more vaccines are needed. (Chito A. Chavez)