SOME good news for a change: the number of active cases of Covid-19 in Laguna province is once again on the decline, according to statistics from the Department of Health (DOH).
From 8,294 cases reported a week ago, the number of active cases in the province is now down to 5,556 as of October 20.
However, some health experts have warned both local and national governments to be cautious in gradually reopening the economy.
There are some concerns that the current situation might turn again to the vicious cycle we have experienced last year: Covid-19 cases rise again after businesses were allowed to resume operations, forcing another round of restrictions and lockdowns.
But the situation is now altogether different. What made the difference? Covid-19 vaccines.
The decision of the national government to open its Covid-19 vaccine program to the general population, including children, is a laudable move – and long overdue.
Some LGUs in the province of Laguna are not only conducting “vaccination on wheels” but allowing walk-in vaccinees to encourage more people to get protected against the virus.
The consensus now is that so long as local government speeds up its vaccination program, citizens continue doing their part - that is, strictly following health protocols - and that the Covid-19 virus does not mutate into a more infectious or deadlier variant, we may celebrate a somewhat “merrier” Christmas than what we had experienced last year.
The challenge is now on all of us to “keep up the momentum,” so to speak, and take all the necessary steps to end this year-and-a-half nightmare that is the Covid-19 pandemic.