People are reflected on the mirror waiting for their turn as others get their vaccine at the Ospital ng Maynila during the roll-out of the National Vaccination Days on November 29, 2021 in Manila. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News
MANILA - The Philippines again ranked last in an international index that measures a country’s resilience to the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to Bloomberg’s COVID Resilience Index for November, the Philippines was 53rd in a list of 53 countries ranked according to how effectively they are handling the virus “with the least social and economic upheaval.”
Bloomberg dubbed the list: "The Best and Worst Places to Be as Winter Meets Omicron."
“Compiled using 12 data indicators that span virus containment, quality of healthcare, vaccination coverage, overall mortality and progress toward restarting travel, the Ranking captures how the world’s biggest 53 economies are responding to the same once-in-a-generation threat,” Bloomberg said.
Some of the indicators Bloomberg looks at are vaccine doses per 100 people, lockdown severity, flight capacity, and vaccinated travel routes.
The list was topped by the United Arab Emirates, which Bloomberg noted “has basically normalized back to pre-pandemic life.”
In the UAE, property sales are at a decade high in Dubai, restaurants are full, while its Expo has attracted 2 million visitors since October, Bloomberg said.
Rounding up the top 5 are Chile, Finland, Ireland and Spain.
The bottom 5 meanwhile are Poland, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines.
“The lowest two places on the Ranking have given out less than 100 COVID shots per 100 people, a key barrier to improving their scores,” Bloomberg said.
Indonesia has given out 87.3 doses per 100 people, while the Philippines has given 73.2.
The Philippines is trying to ramp up its vaccine rollout via a 3-day national vaccination drive which aims to administer 3 million jabs per day. The country managed to administer 2.5 million jabs on the first day.
The country has been a consistent bottom-dweller in international rankings of COVID response.
Malacañang has disputed these rankings claiming the studies were “biased.”
The National Economic and Development Authority meanwhile has come up with its own “scorecard” for gauging the country’s pandemic response, saying people should not take these rankings “too seriously.”
But in NEDA’S own scorecard, the Philippines still scored just 4.83 out of a possible highest score of 9.
Bloomberg meanwhile noted that the arrival of the Omicron variant may again test how effective each country is in responding to the pandemic.
"Will omicron turn the clock back on the pandemic, or does the advent of Covid pills and booster shots light a permanent exit path?"
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