PASAY CITY -- Senator and Chair of the Senate Committee on Health Christopher "Bong" Go urged the government to further strengthen the national vaccination campaign, as the Department of Health reported rising COVID-19 cases in the country.
"I continue to urge the government to strengthen further our vaccination campaign to cover as many qualified individuals as possible," said Go in a statement on Tuesday, July 12.
"We have done well the past year in acquiring sufficient vaccine supply but we must amplify these efforts further in order to reach areas with low vaccination rates," he added.
Asked if he supports making booster shots mandatory, Go said that Filipinos should be provided with all the right information they need to make the right decision instead.
"Bukod sa sapat na supply, ‘awareness and access’ sa mga bakunang ito ang kailangan upang hindi masayang ang ating pinaghirapan. Kung pwede ay dalhin natin ang tamang impormasyon at mismong bakuna sa mga kabahayan lalo na sa mga liblib na lugar," the senator said.
From July 4 to July 10, the country recorded a total of 10,271 new cases. That is around 39% more than the cases reported the week before, the DOH stated on Monday. Currently, 555 cases are considered severe or critical.
Non-Intensive care unit bed utilization rate remains low at 22.7% while ICU bed utilization rate is at 17%.
The health department, however, urged Filipinos to exercise caution and not to panic, telling them that "the virus is here to stay" and that new infections should be anticipated.
As of July 10, 71,055,752 Filipinos have been fully vaccinated, while 15,342,652 have received their booster shots.
The only way for the country to fight and recover from the pandemic, Go continued, is for Filipinos to get vaccinated, especially for those who are still unwilling to do so.
"Bagamat hindi natin mapilit ang mga tao na magpabakuna, kailangan nating mas ipaintindi sa mga nag-aalangan pa kung bakit ang bakuna lang ang tanging solusyon natin ngayon para labanan ang pandemya at tuluyang makabangon tayo sa mas lalong panahon," Go concluded.
The senator then reminded Filipinos to remain vigilant and continue to adhere to health and safety protocols.
"Huwag muna tayong magkumpiyansa dahil delikado pa rin ang panahon lalo na at may mga bagong variant at subvariant ng COVID-19," added Go. (OSBG)
