50% of NCR Plus vaccinated by October doable, says presidential adviser

MANILA, Philippines — Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion is projecting that about half of the populations of Metro Manila, as well as those of Bulacan, Laguna, Cavite and Rizal provinces, can be vaccinated for COVID-19 by October.

Agreeing with the recommendations of research group OCTA, Concepcion said that achieving this "population protection" target can catalyze the further reopening of businesses in the economic centers of the country.

The country is currently administering around 220,000 daily.

Concepcion, who is also the founder of SME advocacy program Go Negosyo, said the private sector in consultation with medical advisers, is also picturing how the "next normal" will look like as the country reaches its milestone in vaccination, similar to what is happening in the United States.

"The next normal will be dependent on our ability to achieve these levels of people vaccinated and failure to do so will slow down the opening of the economy," Concepcion said in a statement.

Having taken his completing second shot of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine on Tuesday, Concepcion also encouraged the public to get inoculated.

Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship and Go Negosyo Founder Joey Concepcion receives his second dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine on Tuesday, June 22, 2021.

Participation is needed, he said, especially now that newer mutations such as the Delta variant are threatening a return of outbreaks.