Citing the country’s low booster vaccination rate, National Task Force against Covid-19 Adviser Dr. Teodoro “Ted” J. Herbosa on Saturday, April 9, urged the public to get boosted while on vacation during the Holy Week.

Herbosa said there are only around 12.1 million individuals who have received their booster shots, so far.

“Ang advise ko ay kailangan magsuot pa rin tayo ng mask. Maging ma-ingat pa rin tayo. Lalo na ang booster shot, magpa-booster shot tayo kasi nga mababa ‘yung booster rate natin (My advice is to always wear your face mask. Let’s still be extra-cautious. Most importantly, get your booster shot as we have a low booster vaccination rate),” he said during a radio interview.

He said the public must seize the long holiday and get their booster jab while they are not busy with work.

"You may get a booster shot at the provinces that you will visit, just show your vaccination card," Herbosa said.

It is important to get a booster shot as the efficacy of vaccines wanes over time, the Department of Health (DOH) noted.

The DOH said it intends to continue the Covid-19 inoculation even during the Holy Week, saying it will write to hospitals to encourage them to continue vaccination activities.

Recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned of the possible surge in the number of Covid-19 cases in the coming months, probably after the polls.

The organization told the government to prepare for the possible rise in the number of Covid-19 cases as gatherings due to Ramadan, Holy Week, and election-related activities will take place from March to May.

Herbosa agreed with the WHO and cited similar scenarios wherein religious events coincided with the conduct of election-related activities which eventually led to a surge in the number of Covid-19 cases.

Despite the low number of cases being recorded in the country in recent days, the NTF adviser said the public must not be complacent and always practice minimum health and safety protocols.

“Remember, hindi pa tapos ang pandemic at naka-low risk lang tayo dahil sa natatala nating kaso 300 a day (there is still a pandemic and we are just classified as low risk due to the 300 Covid-19 cases per day),” he noted.

On April 5, the DOH advised the public to refrain from kissing statues of saints as the dreaded disease can be transmitted through droplet infection.

As the said practice may imperil the lives of the public, DOH Spokesperson Maria Rosario S. Vergeire has called on churches to prohibit such.

For this year, Holy Week will be observed from April 10 to 16.