Galvez: Simulations show NCR Plus can have 120K jabs per day if vaccine supply is enough

Simulations have shown that the NCR Plus can administer 120,000 shots of COVID-19 vaccines per day by June provided that there is a steady supply of vaccines, Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said on Wednesday.

"Our supply chain experts have also provided some sort of simulations wherein the NCR Plus will have a 120,000 jabs a day with the requirement that the NCR should have a steady supply of 3.3 million (doses) monthly," Galvez said in a joint hearing of the House Committees on Health and Trade and Industry.

"With that, we will designate mega vaccination sites like the malls and the different arenas and gymnasiums," he added.

Galvez said the simulations would be done in June.  

The National Capital Region and nearby provinces such as Bulacan, Cavite, Rizal and Laguna were earlier placed under enhanced community quarantine after a resurgence of infections.

At present, NCR Plus is under modified ECQ which will last until the end of April.

According to Galvez, the total budget for the vaccination program this year is P82.5 billion.

The official rollout of  the vaccination program started in March upon the arrival of China's Sinovac vaccines. As of April 20, more than 1.3 million Filipinos have been vaccinated, Galvez said.

So far, the Philippines has recorded a total of 953,106 COVID-19 infections in which 127,006 are active cases.

Meanwhile, the total number of recoveries is at 809,959 while the death toll has climbed to 16,141. — RSJ/KBK, GMA News