By Alec Go
The government released today (May 28) the list of sectors included in the national government’s COVID-19 vaccination priority group A4 composed of essential workers.
Based on the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) Resolution No. 117, private workers who need to report physically at their workplaces and government workers are included in this group.
The list of eligible sectors under A4 group are as follows:
I. Private sector workers required to be physically present at their designated workplace outside of their residences;
II. Employees in government agencies and instrumentalities, including government-owned and -controlled corporations and local government units;
III. Informal sector workers and self-employed who may be required to work outside their residences, and those working in private households.
The vaccine deployment for priority list A4 will primarily focus on the National Capital Region, Bulacan, Pampanga, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Metro Cebu, and Metro Davao. Workers from other areas are also included in the rollout.
“Among the priority group A4, LGUs [local government units] may give preference [to] persons aged forty to fifty-nine (40-59) over persons aged eighteen to thirty-nine (18 to 39) years old,” the resolution read.
Meanwhile, the updated priority group A1 which initially includes health workers will now include the following:
- Outbound overseas Filipino workers for deployment within the next four months from the intended date of vaccination;
- Immediate family members of healthcare workers, subject to supply.
LGUs nationwide were directed to “continuously prioritize” priority groups A1 to A3 through “establishing special lanes and/or vaccination centers.” -jlo