MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles, Manila Bureau) – One of the biggest criticism about the white sanding of Manila Bay has been timing.  Many believe that spending a huge amount of money for cosmetic purposes was inappropriate at a time when the country was in a middle of a pandemic that has affected people’s health and  livelihood.

The government argued that the rehabilitation of Manila Bay has been in the works, and in the budget, even before Covid-19.

But when the “new” Manila Bay was opened to the public, all of the government’s efforts to promote physical distancing to prevent the spread of the coronavirus went out the door. Manileños descended upon the bay to get a glimpse and to experience a Boracay moment — all to the detriment of the government’s regulations on minimum health standards.

Today, the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) ordered the immediate closure of Manila Bay, vowing to keep it closed until there’s a coronavirus vaccine.

IATF’s move comes as no surprise as most of its policies in fighting Covid-19 have been consistently  premised on the mantra “until there’s a vaccine.”

To those who were able to frolic in the white sand of the bay, congratulations.  To the rest, see you on the other side of a Covid-19 vaccine!