By Joyce Ann L. Rocamora / Philippine News Agency
The Philippine economy’s third-quarter performance and the below 5% positivity rate in COVID-19 cases show that the government’s pandemic response is effective, a ranking government official said Wednesday (Nov. 10).
“Nag-expand po ang ating GDP to 7.1% at ang positivity rate natin is below 5%, so sa pamamagitan nito nakikita natin na ang pandemic response po ay tama,” Assistant Sec. Wilben Mayor, head of the strategic communications on current operations of the National Task Force (NTF) Against COVID-19, said in an interview Wednesday night.
“[Although] it’s [a] gradual response, but again nakikita natin na mayroong pagbabago at papunta tayo sa maayos na sitwasyon lalong-lalo na itong Pasko,” he added.
Mayor enjoined local government units to ramp up their vaccination rollout and find more “innovative ways” to encourage their constituents to get the life-saving shots.
Even with less than two months left before the year ends, the official is confident that the country will still reach its target to vaccinate 50% of the population.
Mayor said the government is preparing for a massive vaccination drive from Nov. 29 to Dec. 1, during which it is expected that 15 million doses of vaccine will be administered in a span of three days.
He also cited the steady supply of vaccines to the country, which are expected to further balloon by more than 15 million with the scheduled deliveries this month.
On Wednesday night, Mayor, together with NTF special medical adviser Dr. Ted Herbosa and Health Undersecretary Ma. Carolina Vidal-Taiño, welcomed the arrival of some 866,970 doses of government-procured Pfizer shots at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
The latest NTF data showed that the country has so far secured over 118 million doses of jabs since the first vaccine shipment landed in Manila last February.
Of this number, a total of 65,764,376 have already been administered, translating to more than 35 million people vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2. (PNA) – jlo
