AstraZeneca jabs to arrive in Quirino and Isabela in July

(FILE PHOTO) A vial with the AstraZeneca’s coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine is pictured in Berlin, Germany, March 16, 2021. (REUTERS)

QUIRINO, Philippines  – COVID-19 vaccines purchased from British-Swede drugmaker AstraZeneca is expected to be delivered to the provinces of Quirino and Isabela on the first week of July, said Quirino Governor Dakila Carlo Cua, president of the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP), on Friday (April 23).

Quirino Province bought 80,000 doses while Isabela secured 100,000 doses of the vaccine.

Cua said they would prioritize the vulnerable and high-risk sectors of the population, including the elderly, health workers who have not yet been inoculated, police officers, village leaders and workers, and teachers.

Aside from their purchases, Quirino will also receive Moderna and Pfizer vaccines bought by the national government, which may be delivered between the last week of May and early June, the governor said.

The province will remain under a modified enhanced community quarantine until April 30.

Cua said he would recommend a shift to general community quarantine to help revive the province’s economy.

“Barely a week more of patience. Our constituents are asked to be more patient,” he said.

The province would also start requiring travelers to sign up with Quirino’s “Healthguard” surveillance system beginning on Sunday (April 25) to help with contact tracing efforts. VILLAMOR VISAYA JR. INQ