WHAT people, notably the poor who comprise the bulk of the population, fear is the proposed lowering of the alert level before all the important health data showed that it would safe.

Of course, the fear is valid because the Philippines, where the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has killed 54,930 people, is still to achieve the so-called “herd or community immunity.”

Admittedly, government authorities ought to give COVID-19 jabs to more people so that we could move closer to alert level 1, which is the most relaxed pandemic restriction.

Of the more than 110 million population, only 60,004,959 have been fully vaccinated against the dreaded and deadly virus, which reportedly originated from Wuhan province, China.

Secretary Carlito Galvez, chief implementer of the National Task Force Against COVID-19, said the government hopes to inoculate 90 percent of the population by the time President Duterte leaves Malacanang at 12 noon on June 30.

To inoculate more individuals, the government, through the Department of Health (DOH), launched anew a national vaccination program last Thursday (February 10).

Dubbed the 3rd national vax drive, the elaborately-orchestrated undertaking ends on Friday (February 18).

To be able to shift to a “new normal,” the people must always wear masks, observe social distancing, regularly wash hands, and avoid going to crowded places.

In other words, let’s support the country’s vaccination drive and other government efforts to address the pandemic if we are to transition into the so-called “new normal.”

Oo nga!

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