Are health protocols ineffective?

Malacanang and the IATF are feeling the pressure whether to ease quarantine restrictions in order to restart the economy or wait until the curve of COVID cases eases down.

The global trend is already on the way down but no one’s getting excited yet.

Impatience is getting high when the first batch of vaccine doses failed to arrive after announcing a date (February 15) got everyone excited.

Leaked info pointed to suspicious delay in completion of documentation that is causing the late arrival of the vaccine after much hype on the series of trial runs by local government units and various agencies.

Suspicions are coming not only from the political opposition. The entire medical field are wondering why Malacanang cannot speed up the documentation.

Many countries classified poorer than the Philippines already have the vaccine.

The suspicions are rooted in the earlier choice of government favoring China’s Sinovac which was declared more expensive but less effective than the other vaccines.

The IATF got tongue-tied explaining the poor decision. Some are wondering if there could be behind the back deals with the supplier.

Only the vaccine black market stands to gain from the delay. Obviously, the Sinovac is already here because the PSG and Duterte himself earlier got their shots.

So, we are made to believe that when the massive vaccination gets underway, we can start going out – but maintaining all health protocols.

The logic of health experts is faulty. They say we should not relax the restrictions because the number of cases is still high. When people, especially children who could be tagged as super-spreaders, are allowed to go out, the cases will surely rise.

It is perplexing why the cases will increase when people who go out will be mandated to comply with the protocols. Does it mean wearing masks and face shield and keeping distance are not effective when people go out in drones as compared to fewer people out of their homes?

If protocols are followed, how can it lead to more COVID cases? It is tantamount to saying these protocols are ineffective.

The medical experts’ reasoning only destroys their advocacy to follow protocols.

Business owners know the risks. stores and establishments are aware of the protocols. And yet, if store owners and consumers strictly adhere, can we still get infected?

So, it is not restricting the protocols but rigid enforcement.

Many people, especially children, have been locked up in their homes for a full 12 months. Mental health is already a serious issue. In Japan, suicide is becoming an epidemic.

Allow people to go out but deploy millions of enforcement agents – from the barangay tanods, to policemen, to security guards – to monitor strict compliance, with heavy penalties (maybe P1,000 for every infraction).

With or without the vaccine, the quarantine has already seriously impacted on the psyche of Filipinos.