THE Metro Manila Council (MMC) passed a resolution requiring all sellers and personnel of Christmas bazaars and other seasonal market in Metro Manila to be fully vaccinated as shoppers start to increase in numbers.

Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Benhur Abalos said the mayors have agreed to implement a unified standard on the conduct of bazaars, tiangges, and pop-up stores as more establishments and activities are already allowed to operate under alert level 2.

Based on MMDA Resolution No. 21-27, all traders, salespersons, exhibitors, organizers, and other personnel are required to be fully vaccinated prior to their actual conduct of Christmas bazaars, tiangges, and pop-up stores.

“These will help reduce risk of transmitting the virus since they are seasonal in nature and sellers come from various parts of the country making contract tracing difficult on the part of the local government units,” the Chairman said.

“We want to avoid a repeat of the polio outbreak in the country which happened last September 2019 where these seasonal stores are identified as significant contributors in its spread.”

“The COVID-19 virus is equally deadly as polio, so in order to guard against exposure to the virus, we should make sure that our economic frontliners have their own protection since they are exposed to many,” he added.

Meanwhile, the MMDA has inked a memorandum of agreement with the Philippine Dental Association (PDA) and Rotary Club of Manila for the NCR’s “We Vax As One” initiative aimed to increase the inoculation rate of the National Capital Region and neighboring provinces of Rizal, Bulacan, Cavite, and Laguna towards attainment of population protection or herd immunity at the soonest possible time.

Dentists will now serve as vaccinators, complementing doctors and nurses who already inoculated 90% of Metro Manila’s eligible population.

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Edd Reyes