Covid Politicized

 * My article in  BusinessWorld , Sept. 20, 2021. Vaccination plateau — rapid rise in vaccination rates as percent of population followed by a quick slowdown with the curve nearly flatlining. That is my simple and personal definition as I have not seen other definitions yet when I checked the various search engines. The term has similar connotations to “vaccine ceiling” and “vaccine burnout.” The best example of a country experiencing a vaccine plateau would be Israel. From the Our World in Data (OWID) excel file, Israel’s vaccination rate as percent of population was 0.1% on Jan. 10, quickly rising to 21.1% on Jan. 31, 38.7% on Feb. 28, and 54.6% on March 31. This rapid rise in the vaccination rate also coincided with a rapid decline in infections and cases, from around 8,000/day in mid-January to only 466 by March 31, then lockdown and mask mandates were slowly removed. And Israel became a poster example of “more vaccination, more protection, less infections.” Good. Israel’s...

These are my screen shots of Doc Jody Dalmacion talk at the Concerned Doctors and Citizens of the Philippines (CDC Ph) weekly huddle last week. The full program here, enjoy. CDC Ph Weekly Huddle, Sept 11, 2021 “We Don't Want To Say, We Told You So”  https://youtu.be/lGYkjvcHxsw , https://rumble.com/vmc97n-cdc-ph-weekly-huddle-sept-11-2021.html https://www.facebook.com/Concerned-DX-and-CX-of-Philippines-107617331530041  See also:  https://covidpoliticized.blogspot.com/2021/08/dr-jody-dalmacion-on-vaccine-ivermectin.html .

Today is the first year anniversary of the Concerned Doctors and Citizens of the Philippines (CDC Ph). It was launched and previously headed by former DOH Sec. Jaime Galvez Tan, but days or weeks after the launching, he left the group. Here among the key leaders of the group, TV broadcaster Mari Kaimo, and tech entrepreneur Ann Cuisia. Source of two photos:   "Concerned doctors, citizens urge to lift lockdowns amid COVID-19 crisis" by GNN, Sept 17, 2020,  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xwb4lY2Wdqg . There were many doctors that day, some did not speak. Below from left: Docs Edwin Bien, Butch Ong, Joel Lopez, Homer Lim, Eric Tan, and Iggy Agbayani. Sitting alone in suit and facing the docs is Doc Jaime Galvez-Tan. On the right in a huddle are some of the "citizens" components of the group. Other video coverages that day:  (1) Flatten the fear: Doctors' group seeks gradual lifting of lockdowns | ANC Sep 22, 2020     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRiPu...

I am reposting here five recent articles by a friend and fellow BusinessWorld columnist, UA&P Law Prof. Jemy Gatdula, about mandatory vax and indefinite lockdown in the Philippines. Good papers, Jemy, congrats again. ----------- (1) It’s final: Lockdowns don’t work  January 21, 2021 | 5:33 pm Being Right  By Jemy Gatdula  https://www.bworldonline.com/its-final-lockdowns-dont-work/ Why do lockdown policies continue? In two words: fear mongering. As Dr. Joffe points out: the “Popular media focused on absolute numbers of COVID-19 cases and deaths independent of context. There has been a sheer one-sided focus on preventing infection numbers. The economist Paul Frijters wrote that it was ‘all about seeming to reduce risks of infection and deaths from this one particular disease, to the exclusion of all other health risks or other life concerns.’ Fear and anxiety spread, and we elevated COVID-19 above everything else that could possibly matter … The ultimate tragedy of ...

This coming Saturday, September 18, there will be an end-the-lockdown, anti-mandatory vaccination (implicit via discrimination or explicit via proposed legislation). Good move. About indefinite lockdown, former NEDA Secretary Ciel Habito wrote in his column the other day at PDI, about the Philippines as "Back to being the sick man of Asia… Pathetic laggard." He cited our low FDI level, lower agriculture growth, compared to our neighbors in the region. But one thing missing -- he not mention the hard, strict, indefinite lockdown as a major reason for being the "sick man of Asia." Sure the virus also hit TH, ID, MY, SG, CM, JP, KR, ... But how come their economic contraction in 2020 were lower than PH (at -9.6%)? Some of them already had growth in Q1 2021 while PH has -4.2%. Perhaps because Ciel also supported the hard lockdown? It is true that the PH has low FDI, low agri growth compared to neighbors. But despite those, PH was adding some P1.1 trillion/year (real pri...

At the Concerned Doctors and Citizens of the Philippines (CDC Ph) Huddle last Sept. 4, these comments were posted that night:  Belinda T. Toledo    · 1:10:58 My cousin died of high blood/heart attack 6 days after his 1st dose of vaccine. Then pag swab sa kanya positive daw po sa covid and need na i cremate. Belinda T. Toledo      · 1:15:49 He's against vaccine din po kaya lang need daw sa work kaya napilitan. At dahil may waiver before magpa vaccine paano tayo makakapagreklamo. Sino ang dapat managot? Hazel Che      · 1:15:41 Ano po brand ng vaxx? Belinda T. Toledo      · 1:16:27 Hazel Che astra po. AL Mary    · 1:16:43 Sorry for your loss po.. Same sa biyenan ng kapatid namin..1 month after ng bakulam...2 beses inatake...nung pangatlong atake hindi na kinaya..pero wala naman sakit sa puso un..79 years old Julio Agosto    · 0:00 halos lahat ng namatay post vax ay nagka-heart attack. Gaya ng pari ...

Today the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) released the August 2021 inflation rate 4.9%, highest since Dec 2018.  https://psa.gov.ph/statistics/survey/price/summary-inflation-report-consumer-price-index-2012100-august-2021 Malacanang, NEDA, IATF officials, knew this yesterday. Possible it's the main reason why they annnunced yesterday to relax the lockdown from MECQ to GCQ despite 22.4k cases yesterday. Things are worsening, not improving in the econ. Sustained lockdown means continued supply disruption as people mobility -- farmers, fisherfolks, manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers, etc -- remained restricted and politicized (My tractor caretaker told me that it's difficult to buy spare parts in other towns bec of various checkpoints). And prices go up. This morning, another twist: Metro Manila under GCQ ‘with heightened restrictions,’ MMDA clarifies By: Krissy Aguilar / 08:53 AM September 07, 2021  https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1484397/metro-manila-under-gcq-with-heigh...

This is continuation of   https://covidpoliticized.blogspot.com/2021/08/boycott-and-discriminate-joey.html (August 30, 2021). See recent pronouncements from a new Malacanang bureaucrat while running several businesses:  (1) Attaining fully vaccinated homes, workplaces — key to fully protected Phl  GO NEGOSYO PILIPINAS ANGAT LAHAT! - Joey Concepcion September 2, 2021 | 12:00am  https://www.philstar.com/business/2021/09/02/2124158/attaining-fully-vaccinated-homes-workplaces-key-fully-protected-phl "bakuna bubble encourages families and companies to try, at the very least, to achieve micro-herd immunity at their levels. Our homes are where micro-herd immunity should start. For example, my own bubble is my family: my wife, my children, and our kasambahays, as well as our extended family members. That bubble should aim to achieve 100 percent full vaccination... "the unvaccinated may still be allowed entry to malls and other areas, but not in high-risk establishments...