SEN. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go called on the government to expedite the vaccine rollout if the country were to achieve herd immunity this year.

Go said the government hopes to vaccinate at least 50 million Filipinos by September and reach the 70 million target for herd immunity by the end of 2021.

He stressed the importance of sticking to the list of groups and sectors prioritized for Covid-19 vaccination.

In a radio interview on Saturday, Go also stressed the need to maintain discipline and to follow health and safety protocols to contain the pandemic while the government proceeds with its vaccination campaign.

“In other countries, like Israel and New Zealand, they gradually achieved zero [Covid-19] cases. In Israel, they no longer wear masks. It means there is hope, there is light at the end of the tunnel,” he said.

The chairman of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography said he is in regular contact with vaccine czar

Carlito Galvez Jr. and Health Secretary Francisco Duque 3rd who were “doing everything they can to acquire more doses and accelerate the deployment of the vaccines.”

Go said there are over 3,000 vaccination centers nationwide and that 6.5 million out of the government’s stockpile of 7.5 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines have been deployed.

He voiced dismay at alleged actions of some individuals who received special treatment during the inoculation process.

Go said vaccine program implementers are expected to understand frontliners, vulnerable and essential sectors must get jabbed first.

President Rodrigo Duterte said he expects the guidelines laid out by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases to be followed to the letter, and that he will hold local governments, down to the barangay level, responsible for any violation.

Philippine Red Cross Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Sen. Richard Gordon proposed to the Department of Health (DoH) the inclusion of family and household members of health care and economic frontliners in the vaccination priority list.

“Our health care and economic workers face the danger of being exposed to the virus every day and are even more burdened with worry hthoemy ems.i Pg hr it orb ir ti in zign gt ht e he viirr uh so u to seth ho eli dr b moe om st beth rseiw rim ll oar ll a al ye, th k ne iorwfei na gr stahn ed y can return to their families safely saaftiedriw no arlkei tn te gr it no tD heuqfruoen.t lines ,” he

The vaccination program is currently focused on inoculating medical frontliners, senior citizens and persons with comorbidities.

Gordon said the country owes a debt of gratitude to health care and economic frontliners, and thus it is only right to protect their families against the virus.

Sen. Maria Lourdes Nancy Binay meanwhile, urged the DoH to compel local health units to strictly follow vaccine handling protocols to avoid spoilage.

Binay was reacting to reports that at least 348 vials of CoronaVac vaccines were rendered unusable in Makilala town in Cotabato after local health workers left the vials in a freezer without electricity for two days.

“Checking if the vaccines are in good condition is the most basic of things. Vaccines are a very precious commodity in these times,” Binay said in a statement Sunday.

“We get agitated by a few minutes of brownout, what more if it was two days? What a waste. When we’re confronted with such a situation and we have no contingency plan, are we going to ignore it?”

She cited the need for checklists and briefers local government units and provincial health facilities can refer to in case unforeseen situations arise such as brownouts, typhoons, floods, or lack of storage facilities.

“Let’s avoid oversight and carelessness on the ground given the complicated handling and logistics involved in bringing the vials to islands and far-flung provinces,” Binay said.

“The upcoming months will see an influx of vaccines whose quality should be ensured from source to destination,” the senator said.

Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian raised the need to vaccinate more people to help boost public confidence on the resumption of face-to-face classes in low-risk areas.

Gatchalian on Sunday stressed that “suppressing the spread of the virus is the best way to assure parents and learners of their safety following the surge of infections last March.”

“The inclusion of basic education frontliners in the A4 priority group is a boost to prevent adultto-adult transmission in schools when limited face-to-face classes are allowed,” he said.

Socioeconomic Planning Secretary and Director-General of the National Economic and Development Authority Karl Chua said gradually easing quarantine restrictions once the surge is contained will boost economic recovery.

The country’s economic managers, in a joint statement, also said eased restrictions will allow more families to participate in economic activities and restart face-to-face schooling.

The National Task Force Against Covid-19 said the A4 priority group, wochuilc ah te idn cb lyudJu es net, e ad ce hpeerns,dicnagn ob netih net ciooun not rfyt’ hs ev ag cec nine era sl up pop plyu. lT ah tie on vai cs ca in ls a oexpected to begin in August. and“Ifgiwve ev ca acnc in lo es wteo rm Coov reid o-f19ouc raf se el slow men, parents and students, they will be more confident to join limited face-to-face classes,” Gatchalian said in a statement.

“The safety and welfare of teachers and students are our priority,” said the chairman of the Senate Committee on Basic Education, Arts and Culture.

He said if the Covid situation makes limited face-to-face classes improbable, Republic Act 11480 empowers President Duterte to move the opening of classes during a state of calamity or emergency.

The DoH reported 5,790 new Covid-19 cases on Sunday, bringing the total to 1.143 million.

It said 54,904 cases are active, but most were either mild, asymptomatic, or moderate.

The death toll increased to 19,191 with 140 new fatalities.

OCTA Research said there was a significant increase in Palawan which had 67 percent positivity rate, Puerto Princesa (77%), Zamboanga del Sur (26%), Nueva Vizcaya (25%), Misamis Oriental (20%) and South Cotabato (19%).

Meanwhile, cases in Metro Manila, and the provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Bulacan and Rizal continue to decrease.

The occupancy rate of intensive care units in the National Capital Region was at 57 percent while isolation and ward beds were at 42 and 47 percent, respectively.