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Tag: COVID-19

  • World Bank top exec cites PH ‘good’ vaccination program

    World Bank top exec cites PH ‘good’ vaccination program

    With the Philippines’ COVID-19 vaccination program “picking up” pace this quarter, the country is now in a “good place” compared to certain other economies in the region struggling to ramp up their capacities to inoculate their populations against the deadly virus, a World Bank (WB) official has said.

    In a recent meeting with Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III, Victoria Kwakwa, the WB Regional Vice President for East Asia and the Pacific, expressed the hope that the pace of the Philippines’ vaccination rollout continues to enable it to achieve its target of immunizing 100 percent of its adult population this year.

    “I think you are in a good place with your vaccination program and I hope it continues,” said Vice President Kwakwa during her virtual meeting with Secretary Dominguez.

    Vice President Kwakwa expressed concern that with the deadlier COVID-19 Delta variant spreading across the globe, other countries in Asia may experience surges as they have either been late in procuring the vaccines or are slow in vaccinating their citizens.

    Secretary Dominguez said that from a low of less than 3 million vaccine doses received by the Philippines in the first quarter of this year, this volume has since increased to some 25 million doses in the April-June period.

    He informed Vice President Kwakwa that the much bigger delivery of about 70 million vaccine doses is expected this third quarter, and over 50 million doses in the last quarter of 2021.

    All these procured vaccines are enough to inoculate more than 100 percent of the country’s population, he told the WB executive.

    Secretary Dominguez also said the Philippines has been fast and efficient in vaccinating its citizens.

    During the meeting, Vice President Kwakwa also thanked Secretary Dominguez, and other senior officials of the Department of Finance (DOF) for their strong collaboration with the WB, which has resulted in the Bank’s largest program this year for the Philippines, amounting to about US$3.1 billion.

    Secretary Dominguez, in turn, thanked Vice President Kwakwa for leading WB’s initiatives to enhance its engagement with, and strengthen its support, for the Philippines. (DOF)

  • Philippines Logs 1,960 New COVID-19 Cases – DOH

    Philippines Logs 1,960 New COVID-19 Cases – DOH

    The Department of Health (DOH) announced that 1,960 additional coronavirus disease (COVID-19) infections were logged in the country base don its case bulletin on Saturday, February 13, 2021.

    The new number cases raised the Philippines’ total COVID-19 tally to 547,255, with 6.4 per cent, or about 34,967 in active status.

    Of the active Covid-19 cases, the DOH said 86.3 per cent of these are considered mild cases, 8.7 per cent are asymptomatic, 2.3 per cent are critical, 2,2 per cent are severe, and 0.64 per cent are moderate.

    However, the DOH said 12 new deaths brought the country’s death toll to 11,507.

    The country has enough Covid-19 facilities according to the bulletin with 61-per cent availability for the intensive care unit beds, isolation beds have 67-per cent capacity, ward beds have 78-per cent availability, while 79 per cent of ventilators are still available.

    The DOH continuously reminds the public to strictly follow the imposed minimum health safety protocols to mitigate the spread of Covid-19 in the country. 

    IATF Allows Reopening of Cinemas, MICE Centers

    Meanwhile, the inter-agency task force leading the country’s COVID-19 response has allowed more industries to reopen or expand their operations soon, Malacañang said on Friday, as authorities sought to boost the pandemic-battered economy. 

    The IATF, in its Thursday meeting, authorized “the reopening and further expansion” of the following industries in areas under general community quarantine or GCQ, said Palace spokesman Harry Roque. 

    • Driving schools
    • Traditional cinemas
    • Video and interactive game arcades
    • Libraries, archives, museums, cultural centers
    • Meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions
    • Limited social events at accredited establishments of the Department of Tourism 
    • Limited tourist attractions, such as parks, theme parks, natural sites and historical landmarks 

    This will be subject to final guidelines that will be issued by the health department and local governments, Roque said in a televised public briefing.

    Sinovac Vaccine Arriving on February 23

    Presidential Spokesperson Secretary Harry Roque Jr announced in his press briefing today, February 11, that the vaccine from Sinovac will arrive in the Philippines on February 23.

    “Ang bakuna po na Sinovac, galing naman po sa China, nakaukit na po sa bato ang pagdating. Ito po ay abente-tres ng Pebrero, 23 February darating po ang Sinovac, 600,000 pero ang 100,000 po ay donasyon ng Tsina para po sa kasundaluhan sa Department of National Defense,” said Secretary Roque.

    Secretary Roque explained that while the vaccines from COVAX Facility are expected any time this month, the Philippine government has no control as to when is the exact date that COVAX will send the vaccines. 

    “Hindi po natin kontrolado yan dahil sila po talaga ang magdedesisyon kung kailan nila ipalalabas ang mga bakuna,” said Secretary Roque.

    With regard to the Pfizer vaccine, the Palace spokesperson said that the first batch of Pfizer vaccines will be coming from Belgium where it is being manufactured. 

    Sec. Roque said that as soon as the shipment of these vaccines are ready, it will be shipped from Brussels to London, then London to Manila by the country’s national carrier.

    Aside from the arrival of the Sinovac vaccine, Sec. Roque also announced that the Philippine Food and Drug Administration has issued a compassionate use license for 10,000 doses of the vaccine from Sinopharm for the use of the Presidential Security Group (PSG). – BusinessNews.ph

  • Malacanang Expands List of Foreign Nationals Allowed to Enter Philippines

    Malacanang Expands List of Foreign Nationals Allowed to Enter Philippines

    METRO MANILA – The Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) now allows the entry to the Philippines of foreign nationals with visas issued as of March 20, 2020, and still valid and existing at the time of entry, and who were not permitted to enter the country under previous IATF resolutions.

    Also allowed to enter the Philippines are holders of valid and existing Special Resident and Retirees Visa (SRRV) and Section 9 (A) visas as long as they present an entry exemption document to the Bureau of Immigration upon arrival.




    This shall take effect on February 16, 2021 and shall be subject to the following conditions:

    • foreign nationals with pre-booked accommodation for at least six (6) nights in an accredited quarantine hotel/facility;
    • foreign nationals subject to COVID-19 testing at the quarantine hotel/facility on the 6th day from date of arrival;
    • foreign nationals subject to the maximum capacity of inbound passengers at the port and date of entry.

    This expanded list, however, is without prejudice to existing immigration laws, rules and regulations. The Commissioner of Immigration has the exclusive prerogative to decide on waiver or recall of exclusion orders for all foreign nationals allowed to enter the country under relevant IATF resolutions.

    Also adopted was the resolution of the Interim National Immunization Technical Advisory Group (iNITAG) and the DOH Technical Advisory Group (DOH-TAG) containing the following key points, namely, prioritization framework for national, local, and private distribution; prioritization criteria for Priority Group A1; recommendations on the criteria for allocation of the first batch of Pfizer BioNTech; recommendations on health profiling, screening and informed consent in the patient pathway; and recommendations on vaccination cards.
    Priority Group A1 includes frontline workers in national and local, private and public health facilities, health professionals and non-professionals, such as students, nursing aides, janitors, barangay health workers, etc.

    The National Task Force, through its Vaccine Cluster Task Group on COVID-19 Immunization Program, is directed to issue the corresponding operational guidelines, for later release. – BusinessNews.ph

  • Hotel Group Urges Gov’t To Allow Regulated MICE

    Hotel Group Urges Gov’t To Allow Regulated MICE

    The Hotel Sales and Marketing Association (HSMA) has urged the government to at least allow the holding of regulated meetings, convention, and events under the general community quarantine (GCQ) to help the tourism industry survive amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

    At a recent virtual meeting with the Department of Tourism (DOT) and the Tourism Congress of the Philippines, the HSMA asked the government to allow regulated meetings and some social events under GCQ to keep the industry afloat.




    “Those present in the meeting discussed the hotel’s position to be allowed to accept MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences, exhibitions)+socials under GCQ (general community quarantine). This position will greatly assist hotels financially to keep afloat during these challenging times during the pandemic,”HSMA said in a statement.

    The country’s hotel industry has been badly beaten by the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the casualties of the pandemic is Makati Shangri-La Manila, which temporarily shut down.

    In an earlier statement, a Shangri-La spokesperson said the decision to temporarily close Makati Shangri-La was arrived at as the prolonged recovery timeline has resulted in increasing financial pressure on the company in the Philippines.

    “Despite our best efforts, the prolonged recovery timeline has resulted in increasing financial pressure on the company here in the Philippines,” the company said in a statement.

    The HSMA said the concerned hotels vowed to comply with any proposed measures to ensure a safe experience for all stakeholders.

    “[The program] provides elevated cleanliness and sanitation across entire attendee experience. Ultimately, the goal is to create a safe and comfortable environment for meeting organizers, event planners, and their attendees,” it said.

    As of Dec. 2020, venues inside hotels in areas under GCQ and not being used as quarantine facilities may accept bookings for workshops, training, seminars, congresses, conferences, conventions, board meetings, colloquia, conclaves, symposia, and consumer trade shows. Venue capacity is capped at 30 per cent. – BusinessNews.ph