In a COVID-19 surge situation, the urgent needs are accessible, free testing and vaccination.
We call on the national and local government, working hand-in-hand with the private sector, to expand testing and vaccination sites to strategic locations where the public naturally converge such as malls, transportation terminals, drug stores, supermarkets or even workplaces.
While mega-vaccination sites remain operational, setting up micro sites all over the country could make access to the services as simple as going to the nearby convenience store.
Science has proven that vaccines can prevent serious illness and death. Testing, meanwhile, can stop the spread of the virus by letting people know if they are contagious and need to stay home, even if they don’t feel sick.
With or without symptoms, our people should be able to make the choice to get tested without disproportionately hurting their pockets, or force them to borrow money to afford it.
If more of the population are vaccinated and tested, then more lives would be saved and the economic impact of the pandemic would dramatically shrink.
