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Areas with over 3,000 active COVID-19 cases priority for vaccination —Galvez


Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. on Thursday said areas with more than 3,000 active cases of COVID-19 will be considered priority in the government’s vaccination effort that is expected to start next year.

Galvez made the statement in an interview on Dobol B sa News TV when asked about the appeal of Iloilo City residents to be included in the priority list that he enumerated on Wednesday in a public briefing.

“Lahat po ng mga tumaas nang mahigit 4,000 o 3,000 ang kanilang active cases, uunahin po natin 'yan. Kasama po ang Bacolod, Iloilo, Cebu, at Tacloban City,” he said.

Galvez, also the chief implementer of the National Task Force Against COVID-19, said cities are priorities as they are usually economic centers and have COVID-19 cases.

In addition to the priority sectors that he mentioned on Wednesday, Galvez said that essential workers in the business sectors and government officials are also included.

Vaccines will be administered for free to the priority recipients, Galvez said as he assured the public that the vaccine drive will be free of politics.

More than 35 million Filipinos will be prioritized to receive vaccines against COVID-19, Galvez had earlier said, adding the priority list came from the Department of Health (DOH) and was created with the guidance of President Rodrigo Duterte.

As a strategy, Galvez said the vaccination will start in areas that are severely affected by the pandemic as well as those considered as business centers so the country will immediately feel its effect.

Areas that Galvez identified include the National Capital Region, Calabarzon, Central Luzon, Cebu, Davao, and Cagayan de Oro.

Then, the vaccination will proceed to accommodate the priority sectors, he said.

“Ang pinakauna nga is healthcare workers at saka yung mga frontliners. Kasama po sa mga frontliner na ito ay mga police at sundalo, at saka ‘yung ating mga serviceman,” Galvez, a retired military general, said.

“Kasama rin po dito ang mga essential workers ng DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development), DepEd (Department of Education), at government agencies, at ‘yung sinasabi nating vulnerable, poor communities,” he added.

According to him, the government is planning to administer the COVID vaccine to 20 million up to 30 million Filipinos annually in three to five years.

He said the government targets to vaccinate 60 to 70 million Filipinos. --KBK, GMA News

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