MANILA: The Philippines is on track with its COVID-19 vaccination drive, the head of the government’s vaccine strategy said on Sunday, addressing criticisms the rollout has been slow as worries grow about a surge in new cases.
The Department of Health reported 4,899 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, a day after recording the largest single-day increase in more than six months with 5,000 additional infections.
The latest tally brought the country’s total confirmed cases to 621,498, among the highest in Asia, with the reported death toll increasing by 63 to 12,829.
Carlito Galvez, who is in charge of the government’s vaccine procurement program, said almost 90 percent of the more than 1 million doses that arrived so far had been deployed nationwide.
“(The government) is on track in implementing its immunization program and optimistic that it would be able to achieve its target of inoculating about 70 percent of the country’s population within this year,” Galvez said in a statement.
The country’s vaccination drive started on March 1 with 600,000 Sinovac shots donated by China.
The Philippines also received an initial 525,600 doses of AstraZeneca’s vaccine through the COVAX facility.
The total volume is just a small fraction of the 161 million doses the government plans to acquire to inoculate 50 million to 70 million Filipinos this year.
With limited supply, only frontline medical staff and health care workers are being given shots at the moment.
The rise in cases has prompted mayors in Metro Manila to reimpose localized lockdowns and nighttime curfews for two weeks beginning on Monday.
In Quezon City, the capital region’s most populous city, additional restrictions will be enforced including a liquor ban and the closure of gyms, spas and Internet cafes.
Philippines: COVID-19 vaccination drive on track as cases surge
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Philippines: COVID-19 vaccination drive on track as cases surge
- The country’s vaccination drive started on March 1 with 600,000 Sinovac shots donated by China
Sri Lanka doubles troops for flood disaster recovery
- Sri Lanka is expecting further heavy monsoon rains, topping 75 millimeters in many places, including the worst-affected central region, the Disaster Management Center said
COLOMBO: Sri Lanka has doubled its military deployment to regions struck by a cyclone that has killed 635, sending tens of thousands of troops to help areas hit by a wave of destruction, the army said Monday.
More than 2 million people — nearly 10 percent of the population — have been affected by the disaster caused by Cyclone Ditwah, the worst on the island this century.
Sri Lanka is expecting further heavy monsoon rains, topping 75 millimeters in many places, including the worst-affected central region, the Disaster Management Center said. It has also issued warnings of further landslides.
“Given that mountain slopes are already saturated with rain water since last week, even slight showers could make them unstable again,” an official said, urging those evacuated from high-risk areas not to return.
The center has confirmed 635 deaths, with another 192 people unaccounted for since Nov. 27, when intense rains brought on by Cyclone Ditwah triggered landslides and floods.
The disaster management agency warned residents to “take adequate precautions to minimize damage caused by temporary localized strong winds and lightning during thundershowers.”
Army chief Lasantha Rodrigo said 38,500 security personnel had been sent to boost recovery and clean-up operations in flood-affected and landslide-hit areas, nearly doubling the inital deployment.
“Since the disaster, security forces have been able to rescue 31,116 people who were in distress,” Rodrigo said in a pre-recorded statement.
Army spokesman Waruna Gamage said additional troops were deployed as the rescue efforts turned into a recovery operation.
