EDITORIAL - Irresponsible

Old habits die hard, even in the worst crisis the country has faced since World War II. Taking to the hustings for the elections in May, some candidates reportedly want the Commission on Elections to ease new rules that prohibit certain activities and interactions with the public. The Comelec has warned that failure to comply with the rules would constitute an election offense for which candidates could be penalized.

The rules include prohibitions against physical contact such as handshakes, kissing, hugging and selfies during campaign activities. Physical distancing must be strictly maintained and masks must be worn at all times, which means eating during rallies is banned although food can be distributed.

These rules were worked out by the Comelec together with health experts and the pandemic response team because the country continues to grapple with the COVID threat. The worst of the pandemic appears to be over for the country, according to the acting resident representative of the World Health Organization, but only for now. The WHO statement was given on the same day that the Department of Health disputed the assessment of the OCTA Research Group that the National Capital Region is now at low risk for COVID. DOH officials say the NCR remains at moderate risk.

Regardless of the risk classification, there is general agreement that COVID infections have decelerated following last month’s surge driven by the highly infectious Omicron variant. As all health experts have pointed out to the public, however, the pandemic is far from over, especially in places with low vaccination rates.

In the Philippines, vaccination is high in the NCR, but pediatric inoculation against COVID is just getting started. The DOH says only 60 to 70 percent of senior citizens, who are among the most vulnerable to critical infection, hospitalization and death, have received their jabs.

The elderly and the unvaccinated aren’t the only ones still at high risk. Last Feb. 7, a 46-year-old police staff sergeant who was fully vaccinated but had diabetes died while being treated for COVID in a hospital in Cotabato City. Omicron has shown a high capacity to penetrate vaccines, although most of the fully inoculated have reported only mild or no symptoms.

For two years, people have learned to restrict physical interaction to curb COVID infection. Candidates should lead the way in devising ways of campaigning without promoting infection. A renewed COVID surge driven by election campaigns would derail economic recovery. Exposing people to possible illness and death is reckless endangerment and betrays an irresponsibility that should have no place in public service.