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Vaccine Mandate: President declares COVID-19 national emergency, orders arrest of unvaccinated Filipinos outdoors

Philipine President Rodrigo Roa Duterte

*Philipine President Rodrigo Roa Duterte says because it is a national emergency, the government can restrain’ people who have not got their COVID-19 shots to curb ‘galloping’ pandemic, largely driven by the Omicron variant

Alexander Davis | ConsumerConnect

Subsequent to the government’s existing stay-at-home orders to the citizens over the recent surge in the infection numbers of the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), Philippine President Rodrigo Roa Duterte has ordered the arrest of unvaccinated consumers who violate orders aimed at curbing “galloping” pandemic largely driven by the Omicron variant.

The Filipino Government Thursday, January 6, 2022, tightened restrictions in Manila and several provinces and cities during the week.

ConsumerConnect gathered the Philippines ordered the unvaccinated individuals among the capital’s 13 million population to stay home after COVID-19 infection numbers tripled in a couple of two days.

Health officials said infections were projected to increase further in the coming days and would peak by the end of January this year, agency report said.

Duterte, KGCR, also known as Digong, Rody and by the initials PRRD, a Filipino politician and 16th incumbent President of the Philippines, in a pre-recorded message said: “Because it’s a national emergency, it is my position that we can restrain” people who have not got their shots, Duterte said in a pre-recorded message.

“I am now giving orders to the (village chiefs) to look for those persons who are not vaccinated and just request them or order them, if you may, to stay put.”

He also stated: “And if he refuses and goes out of the house and goes around in the community or maybe everywhere, he can be restrained.

“If he refuses, then, the (official) is empowered to arrest the recalcitrant persons.”

Coronavirus vaccinations are voluntary in the nation of more than 100 million people, and less than half the population have so far completed their jabs, report said.

However, Duterte observed that he was “appalled” at the large numbers of Filipinos yet to be vaccinated in the country.

If you don’t get a jab you put everybody in jeopardy… with the virus galloping in our community, in our country, and in the world, said he.

Report further indicates that new Coronavirus infections surged to over 17,000 January 6, rising more than threefold from Tuesday’s toll, according to health department data.

The disease has infected 2.9 million people in the country, nearly 52,000 of whom have died, according to report.

It is recalled the government loosened lockdowns October 2021, after COVID-19  infections, resulting from the Delta variant peaked, in order to revive what is has been described as the ‘battered economy’.

Incidentally, new infections reportedly dwindled to a few hundred daily just ahead of the last Christmas, but increased again, as families and friends got together during the last holidays.

Health experts say the new cases are driven by the highly transmissible Omicron variant of the damaging virus.

Meanwhile, under the tighter restrictions, in place until mid-January 2022, unvaccinated residents have to stay at home unless buying essentials or exercising in the Philipines.

The government has said that restaurants, parks, churches and beauty salons will operate at lower capacity, while in-person classes and contact sports are suspended in the meantime.

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