9.81% of Filipinos fully vaccinated as Metro Manila enters two-week lockdown
MANILA, Philippines — Some 10.7 million out of the Philippines' total 109 million population have been fully vaccinated since the life-saving jabs were first rolled out in March, the National Task Force Against COVID-19 said Friday.
This is equivalent to 9.81% of Filipinos.
Another 12.49 million —11.45% of the population — have received their first dose of the vaccine, NTF deputy chief implementer Vince Dizon said on state-run TV, citing data as of August 5, Thursday.
Thursday also saw a record-breaking 710,482 shots administered, Dizon said.
Officials have said that they are looking to ramp up vaccination in Metro Manila as it enters a two-week lockdown intended to prevent a surge driven by the highly infectious Delta variant of COVID-19.
Malacañang on Tuesday said the capital region, which already receives the lion's share of vaccines, will receive an additional four million doses from August 6 to August 20.
A day before the implementation of enhanced community quarantine, news outlets reported overcrowding at vaccination sites in the cities of Manila and Las Piñas. Photos and videos show that physical distancing was no longer being implemented.
The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority later that day urged the National Bureau of Investigation to probe the proliferation of misinformation that only those vaccinated against COVID-19 would receive cash aid amid ECQ.
The government is aiming for "population protection" or vaccinating 50 to 60 million people by the end of the year, a downgrade from its earlier goal of achieving herd immunity which entails vaccinating 70% of the population.
Another 116 cases of the Delta variant were reported by the Department of Health on Thursday, 83 of whom indicated a Metro Manila address. The Delta variant caseload currently stands at 331.
Health authorities insist, however, that there is still no community transmission of the variant in the country. — Bella Perez-Rubio
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