A few weeks ago, I decided to take some time off at the San Pedro Gateway Park and its newest attraction, the dancing fountain.
Like all else, I had wanted a quiet place to just sit back, relax, forget about the pressures at work and the feeling of being cooped-up for too long, and enjoy the sights and sounds of the city for a little while.
Instead, I was greeted by crowds of people – mostly children – jampacked inside the perimeter of the park.
Unfortunately, authorities there had had a hard time trying to maintain health protocols.
Many of the children weren’t wearing face masks. Also, what physical distancing are you talking about?
And when Mayor Lourdes Cataquiz made an appearance at the park, everybody jostled around the mayor as they tried to take pictures with her.
-o0o-
The same scenario is now being seen at public places such as malls and public parks not just in Laguna province but also across other urban areas in the Philippines.
Buoyed by the fact that Covid-19 cases are finally on the decline (some municipalities in the province are declaring ZERO active cases, in fact), many residents suddenly felt free to roam around.
Even with the encouraging fact that 94 percent of Metro Manila’s residents are now vaccinated – and with the enthusiastic response to the Covid-19 vaccination program for minors in the province – the sudden explosion of people outside has had experts worried.
Some fear that this might be a déjà vu of what had happened last year, when quarantine rules were relaxed.
A few months ago, I had written in this column space that the situation is different from last year due to the ongoing Covid-19 vaccination program.
However, let me remind people again: this is no time for complacency.
Take note, according to the official statistics, just over 33.8 million Filipinos have been fully vaccinated.
-o0o-
Moreover, the news abroad has made it clear that the Covid-19 pandemic isn’t going to end anytime soon.
Countries in Europe are reimposing lockdowns and restrictions amid a new surge in Covid-19 cases. Some residents didn’t like that and are now rioting against the restrictions. (Too much freedom, eh?)
South Africa’s health authorities say they have discovered a new, “worrying” variant of the coronavirus.
Worrying, because officials noted that the new mutation could result in immune evasion and enhanced transmissibility of the virus.
Even New Zealand, which has prided itself in keeping the pandemic at bay (only 40 deaths since it began last year), has shifted its approach and decided to “live with the virus.”