Rodrigo Duterte, President of the Philippines has warned people not to refuse the Covid jab and to keep a home-stay order.
With Covid infections in the Philippines hitting a three-month high, President Rodrigo Duterte took a firm approach to the unvaxxed, threatening to arrest such “recalcitrant persons” if they violate a confinement order.
Duterte stated that he was as patriotic and televised his address to the nation Thursday. “responsible for the safety and well-being of every Filipino,”He was forced to adopt a tough approach to those who still have not been jabbled.
The strong stance by Duterte reflects concern in the Philippines about the rising number of Covid cases, which medical professionals fear could overwhelm the country’s healthcare system, risking a rise in fatalities.
According to health ministry, Thursday saw 17.220 new cases of Covid in the Philippines, their highest number since September.
The daily cases are more than three times the weekly average. This is despite the fact that the country has had the most Covid infection infected state in Southeast Asia. Officials said that Omicron was the main cause of most of these new cases.
Duterte, who has been vocal about his frustration with anti-vaxxers in the past, warned that people could be sent to prison or forced to inject Ivermectin. This anti-parasite drug is, amongst other uses, used to treat animal diseases.
“If he refuses, if he goes out of his house and goes around the community, he can be restrained. If he refuses, the captain is empowered now to arrest recalcitrant persons,”Duterte spoke of those who are not vaccinated.
Government figures revealed that the Philippines had 49.8million fully-vaccinated citizens at the close of 2021. That number is less than half of the country’s 110 million-strong population.
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