Roque: Priority list for COVID-19 vaccination program not yet final

The covered sectors under A4 category of the government’s COVID-19 vaccination program are yet to be finalized, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said Monday.

Roque was referring to the fourth in line in the government’s COVID-19 vaccination program.

“Well, isasapinal pa po iyan (A4) at may mga rekomendasyon na kasama ang food business diyan. In fact, maraming mga rekomendasyon,” Roque said in a Palace briefing.

“Ako po, naninindigan ako na dapat makasama iyong mga kasama nating mga mamamahayag sa A4 pero wala pa pong pinal na desisyon diyan sa A4 kasi wala pa po tayo sa A4 – nasa A1, A2 at A3 lang po tayo,” Roque added.

Under the government's COVID-19 vaccination program, the first in line to get a COVID-19 vaccine are health care workers/medical frontliners (A1), followed by senior citizens (A2) and persons with comorbidities (A3).

Roque said that those included in the A4 category thus far are police officers, the military and those who work in industries which remain operational under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) such as groceries and pharmacies.

“Pinag-uusapan iyong mga nasa transportasyon, nasa mga nagbibenta sa palengke dahil iyan naman po ay bukas kapag ECQ, iyong mga food retail, iyong mga frontline government workers, security guards, delivery services pero wala pa pong pinal na desisyon,” Roque said.

“Hayaan ninyo po, as soon as maisapinal iyan, eh ina-anunsiyo naman po natin at kapag magsisimula na iyong A4,” he added.

As of April 3, Roque said that at least 795,320 Filipinos have been vaccinated against COVID-19.

The Philippines has 143,726 active COVID-19 cases as of April 5.

Metro Manila—the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines—is under ECQ from March 29 to April 11 due to the surge in infections.

Other areas under ECQ during the same period include adjacent provinces to Metro Manila which include: Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal.—LDF, GMA News