Less than half of the population has taken the corona vaccine. The country’s president has now ordered the arrest of unvaccinated people who do not stay at home.
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President Rodrigo Duterte in the Philippines says he is “appalled” by the large number of unvaccinated, writes the TV channel Al Jazeera.
– It is a national emergency. Therefore, I believe that we can hold back those who have not taken the corona vaccine. You put everyone at risk if you do not take the vaccine, Duterte said in a feature published on Thursday.
On Saturday, the country set a new infection record for the fourth day in a row. A total of 26,458 people were registered infected – a figure that makes up 43.7 percent of all tests performed.
The rising number of infections was the reason why the president on Thursday ordered the arrest of unvaccinated people who violate the order to stay at home.
– I now give orders to our officials to look for people who have not been vaccinated and ask them to stay at home, Duterte said in the feature.
– If they refuse or leave the house and move in the community, they can be held back. Officials have the authority to arrest people who are in conflict, he added.
–Vaccination against the coronavirus is voluntary in the Philippines. There are over 100 million inhabitants in the country. So far, less than half of the population has been vaccinated.
The Philippines has registered nearly three million cases of infection so far in the pandemic.
There are over 100,000 active cases registered in the country. On Saturday, 265 new corona-related deaths were reported. In total, more than 52,000 deaths have been reported, but the actual number may be higher.
–– In violation of the Constitution
The Philippine president is a controversial figure internationally who is criticized, among other things, for his bloody war on drugs, where thousands have been killed In recent years.
His decision to order the arrest of the unvaccinated has also been met with criticism.
The President of the Philippine Bar Association IBP, Atty. Burt Estrada, previously stated to CNN that arresting unvaccinated people who refuse to stay at home would be “unconstitutional”.
The UN Commission on Human Rights (CHR) warned that such arrests could be contrary to both the Constitution and human rights.
“Any arrest made on this basis may be illegal,” the commission said in a news release, according to CNN.
Mandatory in several countries
Several other countries have made it mandatory to take the corona vaccine. according to Reuters it is mandatory for all residents or certain groups to take the vaccine in Canada, Croatia, France, the USA, Australia and Greece, among others.
Austria introduces a mandate that makes it mandatory for all citizens to take the corona vaccine on February 1, as the only country in Europe so far, writes NTB.
From January 10, there will be severe restrictions for those who have not been vaccinated against the virus in Italy. Corona vaccination will also be mandatory for Italians over the age of 50.
– We want to slow down the increase in infection and encourage Italians who have not yet been vaccinated to take the vaccine, said Prime Minister Mario Draghi during a cabinet meeting where the measure was adopted on Wednesday this week.
Vaccination is already mandatory for health professionals, police officers, the military and school staff.
Also read: New figures: The risk of being unvaccinated is so much greater
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