Metro Manila to study possible COVID-19 vaccine mandate —Abalos

Metro Manila is set to study the implementation of COVID-19 vaccine mandate in the region, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairperson Benhur Abalos said on Wednesday.

In a radio interview, Abalos said the Metro Manila Council, composed of the 17 mayors in the National Capital Region, approved a resolution creating a technical working group that will lead the study.

“Actually, approved na nga pala (It has already been approved actually),” he said.

“Ang resolution is gagawa kami ng technical working group ng Metro Manila Council together with the IATF para tignan 'yung feasibility ng having ng vaccination mandate,” he added.

(The resolution states that the Metro Manila Council together with the IATF will create a technical working group to look into the feasibility of having a vaccination mandate.)

Abalos said that the vaccination mandate means setting vaccination cards as a requirement for entering or visiting specific areas. He added that they will study its legality.

On Tuesday, the OCTA Research group said the daily positivity rate in the NCR has increased to over 5%. The positivity rate refers to the percentage of people who were found positive for COVID-19 among the total number of individuals tested.

OCTA Research fellow Dr. Guido David warned that the spike could be more than just "a holiday uptick”.

“There is now concern that this is not just a holiday uptick. Please be advised that the situation is changing in the NCR and we must now be very mindful of minimum public health standards,” he said.—AOL, GMA News