MANILA, Philippines — The Supreme Court has started rolling out its vaccination program for its officials and employees, Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo said Friday.
In his first "Chief Justice Meets the Press" event, Gesmundo said the Judiciary has scheduled vaccinations in SC facilities. “There is a schedule for 400 people to get vaccinated,” he also said.
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Judiciary employees are under the A4 priority vaccination category, which encompasses workers in essential sectors.
“We have requested the local governments of Manila initially to assist us in this vaccination activity, but we were told by the COVID task force and vaccination that we can do it ourselves and we will be able to train our own medical personnel to do the vaccination,” Gesmundo said.
He added that the SC created a task force to supervise and make sure that vaccination takes place in accordance with the schedule as well as monitor the supplies of jabs for the Judiciary.
The Office of the Court Administrator, which heads the task force on vaccination, has also requested judges and court employees from judicial regions to prepare reports on vaccinations.
Gesmundo said that the most of the justices have completed their full doses of the vaccine.
“It is my view that the court can become fully operational meaning people can report perhaps less than 100% only when they have been vaccinated, completely, meaning the first and second jab is completed,” the chief justice also said.
Data from the court showed 1,994 employees of the SC, Court of Appeals, Sandiganbayan, the Court of Tax Appeals and the trial courts have contracted the coronavirus.
Of these, 1,846 have so far recovered while 33 died. AS of June 3, 115 are considered active cases.
Gesmundo said that of these, 1,584 workers of the Judiciary went on quarantine, while 213 were admitted to hospitals. There are 33 who were isolated in government facilities while 972 went through home quarantine or isolation.
The SC in April approved financial aid, from P15,000 to P50,0000, to lower court personnel who were hospitalized or who died due to the coronavirus since March 2020.