Pinoys in Singapore welcome free COVID-19 vaccine for citizens, long-term residents

SINGAPORE - Filipinos in Singapore welcomed the government announcement that COVID-19 vaccines will be given free to Singapore citizens and long-term pass holders.

Jhon Maurice Peñas, a Filipino nurse working in a dialysis center, shared the relief at hearing that the vaccine will be available to all Singapore residents and that frontline workers like him will get the vaccine sooner. 

“Masaya ako sa pagluluwag ng restrictions, lalo na sa mag-aallocate nila ng vaccines at uunahin ang  mga frontliners na kagaya ko pati mga elderly persons na in need ng mga vaccine na 'yun.” 

“Nagpapasalamat ako sa government ng Singapore na kahit ako ay isang foreigner na nagtatrabaho dito eh mabibigyan pa din ako at libre pa 'yung ibibigay nila sa akin. Hindi lang siya exclusive sa mga citizens ng Singapore kundi sa mga katulad ko din na nagtatrabaho dito sa Singapore” Peñas said. 

Singapore expects the first batch of COVID-19 vaccines by the end of December and will start vaccinating Singaporean citizens and long-term pass holders for free, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced on Monday. 

“The first shipment should arrive by the end of this month, making Singapore one of the first countries to obtain this vaccine. […] If all goes according to plan, we will have enough vaccines for everyone in Singapore by the third quarter of 2021,” Lee said. 

More than 200,000 Filipinos currently residing in Singapore may be able to receive the vaccine.  

“We have decided to make vaccinations free for all Singaporeans and for all long-term residents who are currently here. I strongly encourage you to get vaccinated too, because when you get yourself vaccinated, you are not just protecting yourself, you are also doing your part to protect others, especially your loved ones,” Lee added. 

Lee also announced that restrictions will loosen up and Singapore will enter Phase 3 of the country’s safe reopening starting December 28. This would allow the holding of gatherings of more people from five to eight, and the opening of some public events with safe measures, among others.

This is also welcome news for the Philippine Embassy in Singapore. According to First Secretary and Consul for Political and Cultural Affairs Gonaranao B. Musor, they are happy that Singapore will soon implement Phase 3 of the lifting of circuit breaker measures and provision of free vaccination.   

“We are thankful that many Filipino legal residents and work pass holders in Singapore will benefit from this free vaccination. The Philippines continues to be grateful for the assistance that Singapore has generously provided for Philippines’ COVID-19 response,” Musor shared. 

According to the Philippine Embassy, in Singapore’s December 14 update, a total of 392 Filipinos have contracted COVID-19 in Singapore since the start of the pandemic, of whom 99% (or 389) have recovered.

The two most recent Filipino cases were imported cases who arrived in Singapore from the Philippines on December 12 and 13, both work-permit holders according to the data from the Ministry of Health (MOH).   

There were five imported cases and no local transmission, based on MOH’s December 14 update, bringing the total number of cases in Singapore to 58,325, of whom 99.8% (58,210) have recovered. Only 86 cases are active (0.15%). The death toll is at 29 (0.05%).

Singapore’s Health Sciences Authority (HSA), the national authority that regulates health products, approved the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for pandemic use after studying the scientific evidence and clinical trial data, according to Lee. 
 
The administration of the vaccine will be strongly encouraged for those 16 years old and older but will be voluntary. Priority will be given to those who are at greatest risk: healthcare workers and front-line personnel, as well as the elderly and vulnerable. —KG, GMA News