Residents troop to a COVID-19 vaccination site set up at Robinsons Mall Ilocos in Laoag City during the first day of the national COVID-19 vaccination drive. (PHOTO COURTESY OF PHILIPPINE INFORMATION AGENCY ILOCOS NORTE)
MANILA, Philippines — Local government units can extend the national COVID-19 vaccination drive until Friday, Dec. 3, the National Task Force against COVID-19 announced on Thursday.
In an advisory on Thursday, the NTF said the extension is allowed to “sustain the momentum” of COVID-19 vaccination and to “take advantage” of the public’s interest in getting inoculated against the severe respiratory disease.
It noted that the National Vaccination Operations Center has received requests from several LGUs to extend the national vaccination drive, dubbed as the “National COVID-19 Vaccination Days” due to the large turnout.
“To sustain the momentum of the NVD and to take advantage of the interest of constituents towards vaccination, the LGUs are allowed to extend the operations of the Bayanihan, Bakunahan National COVID-19 Vaccination Days until Dec. 3, 2021,” the advisory read.
LGUs are directed to inform their respective centers for health development if it plans to extend the vaccination drive by noontime Thursday, December 2.
The regional vaccination operations centers are likewise tasked to augment resources and technical support and ensure allocation and distribution of vaccines to LGUs.
The government held a three-day massive national COVID-19 vaccination drive on Nov. 29 until Dec. 1, with the aim of inoculating nine million Filipinos against COVID-19.
As of Nov. 30, or after tow days of the three-day drive, over 5.3 million individuals were vaccinated.