NCR mayors urge IATF to ease

COVID-19 protocols for the fully

jabbed
SEP 9, 2021 6:40 PM PHT
DWIGHT DE LEON

INFO

MANILA, PHILIPPINES
The recommendation comes as the region addresses 40,000 active COVID-19 cases, while

thousands remain out of work due to the hard lockdown

Mayors of the National Capital Region (NCR) passed a resolution on Thursday, September 9,
urging the Philippines' Interagency Task Force (IATF) on Emerging Infectious Diseases to
consider relaxing COVID-19 restrictions on fully vaccinated individuals.
Under Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Resolution No. 21-19 series of
2021, local chief executives said they saw the need to ramp up economic activity while taking
health and public safety concerns into consideration.
"[T]he economic activity in the NCR must be bolstered by allowing fully vaccinated individuals
to engage in business and other activities which are otherwise prohibited or restricted under the
Omnibus Guidelines on the Implementation of Community Quarantine in the Philippines issued
by the IATF," the resolution read.
"The Metro Manila Council (MMC) urges the IATF to consider the easing of the COVID-19
guidelines in NCR subject to the conduct of an interagency and interdisciplinary study to
determine the appropriate policy based on scientific and empirical evidence," it added. MMC is
the policy-making body of the MMDA.
In passing the resolution, the mayors argued that vaccinations in the metropolis are expected to
accelerate within the next month.
The MMC said that as of September 8, 5.49 million individuals or 56% of the region's eligible
population have completed two doses of the vaccine.
“By next month [or] October 8, we are expecting that we will reach 77.57% or 7,601,685 of the
total eligible population in the metro to be fully vaccinated. The more people who complete their
inoculation, the sooner we can achieve population protection,” said MMDA Chairman Benhur
Abalos, who is MMC's presiding officer. The national government had set 70% as its target to
achieve herd immunity.
This is the first time mayors in the region collectively pushed for an easing of restrictions for
fully vaccinated individuals.