More vaccines due from June to August this year

More workers expected to line-up for vaccination

MANILA – Trade and Industry Secretary Manuel Lopez today said he expects more workers, now classified as A4, will submit themselves to the anti-COVID-19 jabs as the government practically included all workers.

“Lalakas ang kumpiyansa nila sa pagpasok. Iyong exposure nila sa public transport, sa workplaces, mawawala na at mababawasan na ang pangamba,” Secretary Lopez said at a press briefing held at the Mall of Asia shortly before lunch today.

He added this support is what is needed by the country’s economic frontline workers to further enhance signs of recovery. The mass inoculation would encourage more people to return to work or make themselves available for possible employment.

Secretary Lopez said the target set by Secretaries Francisco T. Duque III of the Department of Health, Vince Dizon, the acknowledged “Testing Czar” and Carlito Galvez, chief implementer Anti-COVID-19 task force, of the of 500,000 per day to widen the beneficiaries and make them return to work soonest. The target could easily be achieved.

During the same interview, Secretary Galvez said a million doses of Sinovac arrived yesterday. He added they expect Sinovac to deliver some 5.5 million doses.

“We are happy because COVAX increased their delivery from 2.2 million to 4.2 million. And we are expecting to receive 30-40 million doses from June to August with more or less 17 million. We also received word the Philippines will receive ten to 11 million doses,” Secretary Galvez added. (Melo M. Acuña)