PRIMARY SOURCE

Title: Philippines to declare health emergency after first community transmission of

coronavirus
Author: Neil Jerome Morales
Published: MARCH 7, 2020
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-philippines-idUSKBN20U0A5

MANILA (Reuters) - Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte will declare a public health
emergency to help contain the spread of the coronavirus, after the country recorded its
first case of community transmission, officials said on Saturday.

The nation’s health ministry has reported three new cases of the infection since Friday,
adding to the three Chinese tourists who were diagnosed with the virus in January and
the first week of February.

Duterte has agreed to declare a health emergency following the latest development,
Bong Go, chairman of the Senate Committee on Health and a close aide of the
president, told reporters.

All government agencies were asked to “undertake critical, urgent and appropriate
response and measures in a timely manner to curtail and eliminate the COVID-19
threat,” Go said.

The Philippines’ first case of community transmission involves a 62-year-old male

Filipino who had not traveled abroad recently. His 59-year-old wife has also been
infected, bringing the number of confirmed cases in the country to six, the health
ministry said, adding that both are being treated at a government hospital.

The health ministry declared a code red alert which calls on medical professionals to be
prepared to report for duty and recommended the declaration of a public health
emergency, which would help with the procurement of critical supplies as well as with
quarantine measures.
“This is a preemptive call to ensure that national and local governments and public and
private healthcare providers can prepare for possible increase in suspected and
confirmed cases,” Health Secretary Francisco Duque told a news conference.

The coronavirus has spread to more than 90 countries, infecting more than 100,000
people and decrease over 3,400 people worldwide.

Reporting by Neil Jerome Morales; Editing by Edwina Gibbs & Shri Navaratnam

SECONDARY SOURCE
Title: Palace says Philippines ready to start COVID-19 vaccinations next week
Author: ABS-CBN News
Published: Feb 8, 2021
https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/02/08/21/philippine-covid-19-vaccinations-to-start-next-
week

MANILA — The Philippines is ready to launch its COVID-19 vaccination drive next
week, Malacañang said on Monday, as the country awaited its supply of doses.

The country's first COVID-19 vaccine batch will arrive in "mid-February" from the
COVAX Facility, which seeks to ensure equitable access to the drug, said Palace
spokesman Harry Roque.

"Ilang tulog na lang, mga kaibigan, at dadating na ang unang batch ng ating bakuna.
Ready or not, handang-handa po ang ating gobyerno para magsimula ang ating
vaccination drive itong a-15 ng Pebrero," he told reporters in an online briefing.
(Just a few more nights of sleep, friends, and the first batch of our vaccine will arrive.
Our government is very prepared for our vaccination drive to start this Feb. 15.)

Later asked to clarify if the inoculations would start on Feb. 15, Roque said, "If it
(vaccine batch) arrives--and we only need a day or 2 naman to start the vaccination, we
will proceed."
"It's just a matter of when the plane carrying the Pfizer vaccines will actually land in
NAIA (Ninoy Aquino International Airport)," he added.
The Philippines has more than 537,000 confirmed coronavirus cases, among the
highest in Asia. It has trailed regional peers in securing vaccines, with which the
government hopes to inoculate up to 70 million people or two-thirds of the population
this year.

The country will get some 10 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines under the global
alliance COVAX Facility in the first quarter, including 117,000 doses of Pfizer vaccine
expected to arrive by the third week of February, said vaccine czar Secretary Carlito
Galvez Jr.

"Sa best case scenario po, kung meron po tayong enough supply at naging successful
ang negotiation natin, by December, kaya po natin 50 to 70 million," Galvez told ABS-
CBN's TeleRadyo on Sunday.
"Kung magkakaroon po tayo ng shortage ng supply, worst case scenario po natin,
middle of 2022 po," he added.

(Our best case scenario, if we have enough supply and our negotiations are successful,
by December, we can inoculate 50 to 70 million. If we encounter a shortage, our worst
case scenario is middle of 2022.)

Health workers are on top of the vaccination priority list, officials earlier said.