GET THE JAB Nurses at Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu City are urging people to get vaccinated as health workers prepare for the long battle against COVID-19. —DALE ISRAEL
MANILA, Philippines — The Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases has approved the recommendation to increase the 2021 annual deployment ceiling for newly-hired healthcare workers to 7,000.
Acting presidential spokesperson Karlo Nograles said nurses whose visas will expire by December 31 will be given preference.
“Tinaasan sa 7,000 ang 2021 annual deployment ceiling ng mga bagong hire na mga healthcare workers para sa mga trabahong natukoy ng Department of Labor and Employment bilang mission critical skills,” Nograles said.
(The IATF increased to 7,000 the 2021 annual deployment ceiling for newly-hired healthcare workers for occupations identified by the Department of Labor and Employment as mission-critical skills.)
In 2020, the government set a temporary cap on deploying new-hire nurses to 5,000 amid the country’s battle against COVID-19. This was increased to 6,500 in June this year.