The Philippines on Friday confirmed 10,726 new COVID cases, as government identified more priority recipients of vaccines that have yet to arrive in bulk shipments.
This brought the number of active cases to 193,476, the Department of Health said. On Thursday, the country crossed the 900,000-mark of total cases since the pandemic started last year.
There were 145 deaths and 650 recoveries, bringing the cumulative totals to 15,738 and 707,757 respectively.
Ealier Friday, the Inter-Agency Task Force on COVID-19 identified who will qualify as essential workers under fourth priority or A4. The A4 group is next after A1 (medical frontliners ), A2 (senior citizens) and A3 (people with comorbidities).
In his second address to the nation this week that was aired late Thursday, President Rodrigo Duterte said tight global supply was making it difficult for the Philippines to secure vaccines.
"Kindly read my lips. So mayroong tayong nakuha at may dadating pakaunti-kaunti. And to maybe to our sadness, the stocks that are coming in are barely enough to inoculate the health workers kasi sila man talaga ang priority," he said.
"Now, when will we have that stocks sufficient to vaccinate the people? I really do not know," he said.
The country has in supply jabs from Sinovac and AstraZeneca. However, use of the AstraZeneca vaccine was suspended due to a very remote risk of blood clots.
Reportr is now on Quento. Download the app on iOS and Android or visit the Quento website for more articles and videos from Reportr and your favorite websites.
