Next week, on November 1, Lagunenses and Filipinos in general are expected to flock to cemeteries once again to pay respect to their departed loved ones.
This, as restrictions imposed by the national and local governments during the past two years – which had included a blanket ban on the visitation of cemeteries during All Saints’ Day – have been relaxed to an extent.
This return of a centuries-old cherished ritual by Filipinos, who consider paying their respects to the deceased, is another indication that life has returned to (almost) normal after two years of restrictions and lockdowns brought by the pandemic.
However, there’s a looming ghost that threatens to upend our normal lives more than the ghost of the dead.
This week, the Department of Health (DOH) has reported rising cases of two “subvariants” of the Omicron variant of Covid-19.
As of October 18, the Philippines has recorded 81 cases of the XBB subvariant and 193 cases of the XBC variant.
What is more worrying is that these two new subvariants appear to be more infectious than previous variants of Covid-19.
Health authorities have also warned of additional symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, which were not as common in the previous Covid-19 variants.
Added to this is the fact that just over 20 million Filipinos have received their booster shots against Covid-19.
There is still limited information about these two subvariants, but the bottom line now, according to medical experts, is that the public should not throw caution to the wind again and neglect observing health protocols.
Everyone has agreed that going back to tighter restrictions or lockdowns will prove useless at this point in the pandemic, not only because the variants may have already caused more transmissions but also because reimposing lockdowns will prove disastrous to an economy that is now being buffeted by global challenges and rising inflation.
So, as we remember our departed loved ones on November 1, let’s also remember that preserving our lives, and the lives of our loved ones, should still be our top priority.