PH hits single-day record of 710K jabs

MANILA – The Philippines has vaccinated 710,482 persons against the coronavirus in a single day, a record high since the vaccination rollout began in March.

At the Laging Handa briefing Friday, deputy chief implementer and testing czar Vince Dizon said the record was made on Aug. 5, a day before the reimposition of a two-week enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in Metro Manila.

“We hit a record high. We must sustain this,” Dizon said.

As of Aug. 5, the total number of vaccine doses administered is 23,199,187. Of this number, 10,705,190 are second doses.

Dizon clarified that vaccination against the coronavirus is not required for the issuance of a quarantine pass, debunking fake news circulating on social media. 

“Walang ganun. Hindi po puwede ‘yan (There is no such thing, such restriction is prohibited),” Dizon said.

He added that under an ECQ status, the strictest, the public should stay home and go out only for essential activities.

In a virtual presser, DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the Covid-19 vaccination program would continue despite the restrictions brought by the ECQ.

“Strict scheduling will be implemented to prevent large numbers of people from going out and congregating. Priority groups A2 and A3 shall continue to be given fast lanes,” Vergeire said.

To ensure that the country will continue its record high number of jabs administered daily during this period, she said mobile vaccination drives and temporary vaccination sites in high-density areas would be rolled out.

She said transportation for both vaccine recipients and the vaccine workforce would be “provided and facilitated” to ensure the continuation of the vaccination program.

“We encourage every eligible individual in our population to get vaccinated as soon as possible. Vaccines work to prevent severe disease and deaths. Help us beat Covid-19 by having yourselves vaccinated,” Vergeire said.

She reminded local government units to have “safe vaccination sites” by implementing strict scheduling and master listing to avoid crowding that plagued some vaccination sites of Metro Manila in the past few days.

“’Yung capacity lang ng vaccination sites natin ang papupuntahin para walang crowding, nagmi-mix, or nagi-interact (We should only invite the capacity of our vaccination sites to avoid crowding, mixing, or interacting) and that the risk of transmission will be low,” Vergeire said.

She asked public to avoid going to vaccination sites as walk-ins, noting that if a person scheduled to be vaccinated fails to show up, those in its “quick substitution list” will be called in their stead.

“Kung saka-sakaling dadating ‘yung time na hindi dumating ‘yung scheduled vaccinees for that day, easily meron po silang pampalit (If there comes a time that someone scheduled to be vaccinated fails to show up, they will easily have a replacement),” Vergeire said.

Earlier, government officials denounced rumors and “fake news” that resulted in crowding in different vaccination sites in Manila, Las Pinas City and Antipolo City. Many went home disappointed after the vaccination was cancelled in some areas.

Metropolitan Manila Development Authority chair Benjamin “Benhur” Abalos Jr. assured the public that financial aid would not be exclusive to those vaccinated, while Manila Public Information Office head Julius Leonen emphasized that unvaccinated authorized persons outside of residence would be allowed outside for the duration of the ECQ. 

In the same Laging Handa briefing, Interior Secretary Jonathan Malaya said Metro Manila mayors have agreed to impose a no walk-in policy at vaccination sites during the entire ECQ period, which ends on Aug. 20.

The reimposition of the ECQ is aimed at curbing the spread of the highly transmissible Delta variant.