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No walk-in policy makes for efficient vax system: NTF

By Lade Jean Kabagani

June 9, 2021, 8:48 pm

<p><em>(PNA file photo)</em></p>

(PNA file photo)

MANILA – Local government units (LGUs) should have a master list of vaccinees and not allow walk-ins to avoid overcrowding, National Task Force (NTF) Against Covid-19 chief implementer Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. advised Wednesday.

Galvez said a master list will mean a "more orderly and fully-processed inoculation plan".

"Nakikita natin sa lahat ng LGU sa Metro Manila, ang kanilang overall policy ay talagang bawal ang walk-in. As much as possible, kailangan pre-planned at talagang nakikita natin 'pag nagkaroon ng walk-in, nagkakaroon ng tinatawag nating unexpected crowding (Walk-ins are prohibited as we observed in the overall policies of the Metro Manila LGUs. As much as possible, it must be pre-planned and as we see, allowing walk-ins for vaccination results in unexpected crowding)," Galvez said in an interview during the NTF visit at the A4 (economic front-liners) vaccination hub in Greenhills, San Juan.

Galvez said walk-ins will also endanger social distancing protocols.

"We don't want that our vaccination center will be a superspreader event that's why we advise them, the vaccine rollout should be calculated," he said.

San Juan Mayor Francis Zamora said they ask vaccinees to sign up online.

"We are not accepting walk-ins because we want to maintain the orderly system," he said.

Over 6M jabs nationwide

Galvez said the country has already administered 6,096,208 doses of coronavirus vaccines nationwide since March.

Of the number, 1,604,260 have been fully immunized.

"Despite the reduced output in the country’s seven-day moving average due to a lack of vaccine supply in late May and early June, the Philippines was still able to hit the six-million mark ahead of its target and is expected to gain further momentum in the coming weeks with the arrival of more vaccine shipments," Galvez said.

He said the figures show that the vaccination hubs run by LGUs "are capable of vaccinating at an accelerated rate if they are provided with sufficient vaccine supplies."

The government is eyeing to receive 11,058,000 doses this June.

Sinovac will deliver 5.5 million, the initial tranche of which will arrive on June 10, followed by another delivery on June 17.

The World Health Organization-led COVAX Facility will also deliver 2,280,000 of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines on June 10 and 2,028,000 doses of AstraZeneca jabs by the third week of June.

One million doses of Russian-made Sputnik V vaccines will arrive on June 11 while Moderna confirmed its delivery of 250,000 doses on June 21, of which 55,000 will be allocated to the private sector and 195,000 to the government. (PNA)

 

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