A Catholic bishop in the Philippines reiterated his call for the government’s vaccination program against the coronavirus disease.
“Support and spread vaccine awareness, get vaccinated,” said Bishop Ruperto Santos of Balanga as he assured that COVID-19 vaccines are safe.
The prelate made the call after receiving his second dose of the coronavirus vaccine with other members of the clergy in his diocese.
“Our hearts are full of gratitude for our healthcare heroes who commit themselves to fight COVID-19 and save us,” said Bishop Santos
“Your resiliency, compassion, and strength in keeping our communities safe are forever etched in our hearts,” he added.
Meanwhile, another Catholic bishop called on Filipinos not to blame any particular group for the entry to the country of a new variant of COVID-19.
Bishop Oscar Florencio, vice chairman of the Episcopal Commission on Health Care of the bishops’ conference, said it is not the time to point fingers at anyone.
“Times like this to be pointing fingers is not appropriate or is bad taste,” he said.
“We can’t blame one group here because our enemy is not seen, and besides we don’t have any control over its passage to our country,” said the bishop.
He said people should instead help stop the spread of the disease by following health protocols.
Philippine Health officials on Tuesday, May 11, announced that the country has detected its first two cases of a coronavirus variant first identified in India.
The World Health Organization has classified the coronavirus variant, known as B.1.617, as a variant of global concern with some preliminary studies showing that it spreads more easily.
The variant had been confirmed in two Filipino seafarers who returned in April.
As of Tuesday, the country has 4,734 new coronavirus infections, the lowest single-day tally since March 17, bringing total cases to more than 1.11 million.
The number of daily infections in the Philippines, which is battling one of the worst outbreaks in Asia, has fallen from a peak of 15,310 on April 2, but has stayed above the daily average of roughly 1,700 cases for 2020.
The drop in cases, if sustained, will buoy hopes that tougher restrictions imposed on March 29 will be relaxed to help the economy, which contracted 4.2 percent in the first quarter.
In a bid to prevent the entry of variants, the Philippines has temporarily barred travellers coming from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh from entering the country.
