COVID-19 vaccination to proceed even during ECQ in Metro Manila — Palace

San Juan City residents get inoculated with a single dose of Johnson & Johnson’s at the FilOil Flying V Center on Wednesday, July 21, where around 600 individuals from A2-A3 priority categories recieved the one-shot vaccine. NIÑO JESUS ORBETA/PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER

MANILA, Philippines — The government’s vaccination program against COVID-19 will still continue in Metro Manila even though the region will be placed under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) from August 6 to 20, Malacañang said Friday.

“Yes, definitely,” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said when asked if vaccination will still proceed in the metropolis.

“Details will be provided in due course by the vaccination committee,” he added.

Vaccinations will also still proceed while Metro Manila will have additional restrictions under general community quarantine (GCQ) until Aug. 5, Roque said.

Metro Manila was placed under stricter quarantine classifications after local chief executives proposed this to the government’s pandemic task force in light of the threat of the highly contagious COVID-19 Delta variant.

So far, the Philippines has detected a total of 216 Delta variant cases. The Department of Health (DOH) has confirmed local transmission of the variant in the country.

Only over 7.8 million Filipinos have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, still a far cry from the goal of vaccinating 58 million people in areas considered “high risk” for the severe respiratory illness to achieve “population protection.

EDV