MANILA, Philippines — Iloilo City, Cagayan de Oro City, and eight more areas experiencing a surge in COVID-19 cases are now included in the government’s priority for COVID-19 vaccine distribution, Malacañang announced Thursday.
In a press briefing, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque identified as priority areas the cities of Bacolod, Iloilo, Cagayan de Oro, Baguio, Zamboanga, Dumaguete, Tuguegarao, General Santos, Naga, and Legaspi.
“Ang naging basehan ay ang tumataas nilang kaso or surge in cases, ang kanilang pagiging highly urbanized at dense environment at kanilang contribution sa regional or national economy,” Roque explained.
(The basis was their rising number or surge in cases, them being highly urbanized or having a dense environment and their contribution in regional or national economy.)
These areas now join the so-called NCR Plus 8 comprising Metro Manila, Metro Cebu, Metro Davao, Bulacan, Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Pampanga, and Rizal in being considered as priority areas for the deployment of vaccines.
Roque also stressed that President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the “equitable distribution” of COVID-19 vaccines.
According to experts of the OCTA Research group, Davao City, Bacolod City, and Iloilo City have the highest average new COVID-19 cases after Metro Manila.
Earlier, the Iloilo City government asked for more vaccines to stop the surge in their area.
Meanwhile, a call for the deployment of more ventilators to Cagayan de Oro City hospitals to help deal with the surge in COVID-19 cases was also made.