Roque says PHL gov’t to take advantage of ECQ in NCR to vaccinate more people
(Eagle News) – President Rodrigo Duterte has approved the allocation of four million additional COVID-19 vaccine doses to be given to Metro Manila this two-week Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) period which starts on Friday, Aug. 6.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said that the Philippine government would take advantage of the ECQ to vaccinate more people in the National Capital Region (NCR) and ensure that the economy would continue running.
“Inaanunsyo ko pong muli, bibigyan po ng national government ang Metro Manila ng 4 million additional jabs para po gamitin during ECQ,” Roque said in an event on Thursday, Aug. 5, in Mandaluyong City marking the country’s achievement of having vaccinated over 10 million Filipinos against COVID-19.
Roque said that hopefully after the ECQ period in the NCR which ends on Aug. 20, they would have vaccinated 50 percent of the population of Metro Manila. This means the target of population protection in the country’s capital region could already be achieved by that time.
“Malapit na pong dumating sa punto na ang Metro Manila will achieve 50 percent vaccination siguro after ECQ,” he said.
“COVID or no COVID tuloy po ang pagtakbo ng ating ekonomiya. Sasamantalahin po natin ang ECQ para lalo pang mapabilis natin ang pagbabakuna,” Roque stressed.
The Philippine government said that it has fully vaccinated 10 million individuals all over the country.
The number of those given vaccines, including the first doses, also reached almost 22 million Filipinos.
On Aug. 3, the Philippines also vaccinated over 700,000 individuals in just a day, a feat that even surpassed the average daily number of vaccine doses administered in the United States which is only 650,000 jabs, said Secretary Vince Dizon, the deputy chief implementer of the National Task Force against COVID-19, on Thursday, Aug. 5.
At least 67 mall venues will also be opened for vaccination in the Philippines, as NCR enters strict lockdown under ECQ starting tomorrow, Friday, Aug. 6,
Senior VP for operations of SM supermalls Mr Bien Mateo said that so far their malls nationwide have already vaccinated two million individuals.
“We are now determined more than ever to stop the virus,” he said.
The Department of Health (DOH) is urging more Filipinos to get vaccinated amid the entry of the highly infectious Delta variant that is suspected to be behind the increasing number of cases in the country.
There are more than 63,000 active COVID-19 cases in the Philippines based on the DOH tally released on Wednesday, Aug. 4.
(Eagle News Service)