SENATOR and Chair of the Senate Committee on Health Christopher “Bong” Go urged Filipinos to remain vigilant and continue to adhere to health and safety protocols, as the Department of Health reported a slight uptick in the number of new COVID-19 cases in Metro Manila.

“Huwag tayong makumpiyansa. Huwag nating sayangin ang magandang takbo ng ating pandemic response at vaccine rollout,” stressed the senator.

“Mas palakasin pa natin ang pagbabakuna lalo na ng booster shots para hindi na tumaas muli ang kaso ng nagkakasakit,” he added.

While Metro Manila is still classified as low risk, 14 of the 17 areas recorded a positive growth rate, according to the DOH. The National Capital Region’s positivity rate has also risen to 1.6%.

The increase in cases, however, is not considerable, said the health department, as severe and critical cases and hospital admissions are not growing.

The DOH is attributing the uptick to the existence of Omicron sub-variants and the population’s diminishing immunity, as many people have not had their booster vaccinations.

Meanwhile, Quezon City is on yellow status, signaling that a spike is possible over the next 14 days. The DOH, on the other hand, asked the public not to panic, noting that the government is closely monitoring the situation to ensure that hospitals are not overburdened as a result of the increase in the number of cases.

Go then reiterated his call for national and local officials to expedite vaccination deployment, particularly the distribution of booster shots.

He also urged all eligible Filipinos to get inoculated as soon as possible, especially those who are qualified to get their booster doses so that they would have an extra layer of protection against the virus.

“Magpabakuna na sa pinakamalapit na vaccination site upang makuha ang proteksyon na kailangan laban sa patuloy pa ring kumakalat na COVID-19 na sakit at iba’t ibang variants nito,” stressed Go.

“Libre naman po ang bakuna mula sa gobyerno. Paraan din ito upang maprotektahan ang inyong mga pamilya at mga komunidad,” he added.

Go also asked the government to ensure that health protocols will be strictly followed in order to better protect Filipinos. He then advised the public to maintain their discipline as the country adjusts to a new normal.

“Para naman sa gobyerno at mga namamahala ng mga pampublikong establisyimento, ipatupad po natin nang maayos ang patakaran nang walang pili o pinapanigan. Nakasaad sa requirement ang pagpapakita ng proof of full vaccination sa lahat nang nais pumasok sa mga establisyimento, kaya sundin po natin ito,” he said.

“Siguraduhin natin na nakalatag na ang mga patakarang kailangan upang maging ligtas ang ating komunidad. Alalahanin natin na pinakaimportante ang buhay ng bawat Pilipino,” Go reiterated.