Manila, October 16 (China News Service) -- October 16 was the first day that the COVID-19 epidemic prevention alert level in the Greater Manila area of the Philippine capital was downgraded from Level 4 to Level 3. Life in the Philippines has quietly changed, and GREENBELT5, a top mall in Manila's CBD green belt business district, has sounded the Sound of Christmas songs.
In the evening, the Christmas gift house outside GREENBELT5 opened, and the Christmas trees were lit up one by one. David, the owner of the shop wearing a face shield and mask, smiled and told the China News Agency reporter: "Merry Christmas again! ”
Under the 3rd level of vigilance, the Philippine government further relaxed the proportion of people allowed to serve in shopping malls, restaurants and gyms in Manila, and increased the number of facilities such as churches, cinemas, and libraries that were limitedly opened.
October 16 is the first day that the COVID-19 alert level will be changed from Level 4 to Level 3 in the Greater Manila area of the Philippine Capital. The Christmas Gift House outside GREENBELT5, a top mall in Manila's CBD green belt shopping district, opened and the Christmas trees lit up one by one. The Philippines enters the Christmas season every October, claiming to be the longest Christmas season in the world. China News Service reporter Guan Xiangdong photographed
The Philippines is a Catholic country that enters the Christmas season every October, claiming to be the longest Christmas season in the world. At the end of 2020, due to the severity of the epidemic, President Duterte called on Filipinos to spend 2020 adversity with "indomitable spirit" and a "Christmas without gatherings". This year, due to the surge in confirmed cases, the country has twice imposed different levels of isolation and curfews, and commerce, catering and transportation in the capital Metro Manila area were almost "suspended".
In response to the epidemic, the Philippine government has improved medical facilities and improved the ability to treat patients, while importing COVID-19 vaccines from many countries and international organizations around the world. President Duterte appeared three times in television commercials, calling on people to actively "participate in the national vaccination program launched by the Ministry of Health." At the beginning of the month, the Philippine Ministry of Health and the Philippine Entertainment and Game Company jointly launched the "Vaccination Win Million Pesos Jackpot" campaign.
The Philippine presidential office previously announced that the reason for the downgrade of the manila alert is in response to the continuous slowdown of the epidemic since late September, and it is also related to the number of vaccinated people. As of 10 October, more than 23.18 million people in the Philippines have been fully vaccinated, with a complete vaccination rate of 21.27%, of which more than 70% of the population in Metro Manila has been vaccinated with one dose. The goal of the Philippine National Task Force to Combat COVID-19 (NTF) is to vaccinate 50%-70% of the population by the end of the year, to achieve population immunization, and strive to enable people to live a "free Christmas".
October 16 is the first day that the COVID-19 alert level will be changed from Level 4 to Level 3 in the Greater Manila area of the Philippine Capital. The International Food Street in Manila's CBD GreenBelt Business District has been fully restored, and many restaurants have increased their reception ratios in both the inner and outer fields. The picture shows the recovery of popularity of well-known local cafes. China News Service reporter Guan Xiangdong photographed
On the same day, the reporter saw in the green belt business circle that the flow of people increased significantly, a number of global chain brand stores launched discounts; restaurants fully resumed business, and the Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Italian, and Filipino local restaurants in the international food street increased the proportion of reception in the inner and outer fields, and some even appeared waiting for the crowd to eat.
The Greenbelt Garden Church began its weekend mass, with people standing and praying in the garden, under the promenade, in front of the Christmas tree. The country that has lost more than 30,000 lives in the covid-19 pandemic is quietly healing.
In fact, the Philippine government has recently launched a series of policies to actively promote the return of the economy and life to normal.
- Relaxation of entry quarantine policy: From October 14, international travelers who enter from the "Green List" area (the list of countries and regions where the Philippine government has lifted the travel ban) and are fully vaccinated with the new crown vaccine will undergo nucleic acid testing within 72 hours before leaving their place of origin, and submit a negative result test report after entering the Philippines, and no longer need to go to the designated isolation point for isolation after arriving in the Philippines.
- Relaxation of internal movement permits: Increase the number of fully vaccinated persons under the age of 16 and over the age of 65 to travel to designated places in the country to promote the resumption of tourism within the country.
Liberalization of vaccination population: Vaccination of children's age groups begins on 15 October. The Ministry of Health announced on the 16th that more than 1100 minors aged 15 to 17 were successfully vaccinated on the first day without any adverse reactions, and then the vaccination of the 12- to 14-year-old age group would be launched. At the same time, all groups of people are allowed to be vaccinated with physical permission.