"The things that work are not a matter of government mandate. They are a matter of citizenship."
"The things that work are not a matter of government mandate. They are a matter of citizenship."
In the week marking one year under quarantine, reported daily new COVID-19 cases in the country topped 7,000, higher than the previous peak reached in August 2020. Daily new cases topped 8,000 Monday this week. This second wave of new cases has now stripped past the first wave and the trend continues to track upwards.
This same situation is playing out in many countries around the world. A third surge is threatening in many countries in Europe and both curfews and strict lockdowns are underway in many countries.
On the vaccine front, vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. has proposed private sector procurement and administration in parallel to the government vaccination program.
Challenge of Governance
It is unsurprising that frustration is growing around the slow pace of vaccination and the continuing surge. It seems ironic that we are dealing with a new surge just when the vaccine is finally becoming available. It is, however, entirely possible that the very availability of the vaccine has caused citizens to become less conservative and careful.
It is hard to say what fueled the current surge. It is possible that the absence of a surge in January following the holiday season, traditionally a time for reunions, resulted in increased confidence in being out and about. The relaxation of travel restrictions in February and anticipation around the arrival of vaccines could also have increased mobility and infections.
What is clear is that, after a year in a pandemic situation, many things need to be attended to. The economy took a major hit in 2020, contracting 9.5 percent year on year. Unemployment rose to a record 17.3 percent. Businesses are suffering and the hospitality sector was particularly hard hit. Unfortunately, the sectors that suffered the most during 2020 are also the sectors that will be hardest hit by the increased restrictions required to combat the current surge.
It is a delicate balance, ensuring that supply chains and critical services remain available, individuals are fed, but also ensuring that disease transmission is controlled. On top of this, the government as well as the health care sector must roll out the vaccine.
In the private sector, there is an increased push for accelerated availability of the vaccine. This can be dangerous. An accelerated rollout requires the appropriate infrastructure. In the United States, accelerated rollout of eligibilities has backfired and resulted in confusion and frustration. The reality is that rolling out the vaccine is not merely about paying for the vaccine; it is also about ensuring that the logistics of the cold chain are managed well and that the infrastructure and manpower for administering vaccines at a certain volume is available. In February of this year, Japan had to dispose of millions of doses of the Pfizer vaccine because they did not have the correct needles to extract the sixth and final dose from the vaccine vials. In many parts of the US, vaccines are available but not the medical personnel necessary to administer the vaccine.
Even more seriously, the appropriate prioritizing of eligibilities is much more difficult when too many organizations are involved. As new cases rise, we must, more than ever, prioritize the vaccination of our health care workers. It will be difficult to do this if there is no clarity around priorities.
On another matter, vaccine czar Galvez pointed out that pharmaceutical companies want to be assured of protection from liability, something that they can only be certain of when government is a signatory to a procurement agreement. Tripartite agreements, Galvez points out, are the solution, bringing the resources of the private sector to aid the government.
On the control front, government has instituted fresh restrictions on mobility, non-essential activities, and social gatherings.
Citizenship
On my social media wall this week was a striking message. “One year into the pandemic and we are still alive. We owe God a thank you.” It struck me because so many of the posts concerning the one year in lockdown were complaints.
In fact, we do owe thanks. We should thank the health care workers who manned the hospitals. We should thank the policemen and the security guards that held the fort for us. We should thank the workers in essential industries that kept food and medicine flowing through the country. We should thank the farmers, drivers and cashiers. We should thank the construction workers that continued to build roads for us to use. We should thank all the citizens who stayed home, who wore masks and face shields, who followed social distancing.
Beating the epidemic is not a job for just the president or the secretary of health or even just the government. It is about all of us.
And, yes, I know that there are many lamentable mistakes. But that does not mean we should behave in ways that are dangerous to those around us. And make no mistake, any action that leads to anyone engaging in behavior that increases transmission increases the danger. We must focus on the correct things. We must provide only information we are sure of.
We are in the eleventh hour. It would be such a shame to see the disease spin out of control just when vaccines are finally available.
There are a few things that we know will work. They are not a matter of government mandate. They are a matter of citizenship. Stay home if you can. If you leave the house, do so only if it is unavoidable and try to stay outdoors. Even if you are outdoors, stay at least one meter away from other people, farther if you are indoors. Whether you are indoors or outdoors, if you are not in your family bubble, wear a face mask and a face shield. Limit your contact with other individuals to thirty minutes. Wash your hands before and after you touch anything that other people have touched or will touch. Wash your hands before eating and after using the restroom. Do not touch your eyes, nose, or mouth. If you do, sanitize your hands immediately.
Be patient. The end is so near. We must be strong together.
A personal note
On a personal note, we lost many loved ones in the last two weeks, none of them to COVID-19. It is particularly hard to say goodbye in a quarantine situation. We cannot gather as we normally would to share memories. We cannot hug out our grief. But our sorrow and our love are not lessened. Rest in peace, sister. We will endeavor to live our life to the fullest knowing you live in our hearts.
Readers can email Maya at integrations_manila@yahoo.com. Or visit her site at http://integrations.tumblr.com.