Ten more areas will be included in the Philippines' COVID-19 vaccine priority list, Malacañang said Thursday, citing a surge in virus infections in parts of the country.
Bacolod, Iloilo, Cagayan de Oro, Baguio, Zamboanga, Dumaguete, Tuguegarao, General Santos, Naga, and Legazpi City will be part of the vaccine priority list according to Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque.
"Ang naging basehan ay ang tumataas nilang mga kaso o surge in cases, ang kanilang pagiging highly urbanized at dense environment at kanilang kontribusyon sa regional at national economy," he said in a Palace press briefing.
The expansion comes as local government officials urged the national government to provide more jabs to areas outside of the initial vaccine priority list, citing spikes in COVID-19 infections.
Initially, Metro Manila and eight other urban hubs--Pampanga, Bulacan, Laguna, Cavite, Rizal, Batangas, Cebu, and Davao--were chosen as priority areas for COVID-19 vaccination to control the surge in infections and revive economic activity.
Parts of the Philippines have started vaccinating economic frontliners, the fourth priority group for inoculations, as the government eyes to achieve population protection by November this year.
At least 50 million Filipinos need to be vaccinated by November according to authorities for the government to reach its target. So far, some 2 million Filipinos have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19.