News Release

PBBM: ‘Vaccination push’ needed amid rising COVID cases


President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Sunday expressed the need to ramp up vaccination efforts “especially for young people” amid rising cases of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

The President made the remark in an interview with the media onboard PR 001 en route to Washington D.C. for his official working visit.

“We will have to conduct again, especially for young people, we’ll have to conduct again a vaccination push para mabawasan na ‘yan, para mabawasan ‘yan especially with people being a little bit, shall we say, nahihirapan na nga eh dahil sa init, that brings down…humihina ang katawan and that will make them more vulnerable to COVID again,” said the President.

Department of Health (DOH) Officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire earlier said the rise in the positivity rate is due to several factors, which include the mobility of the population on holidays as well as the number of people taking COVID-19 test.

President Marcos, meanwhile, allayed fears about the rising numbers and expressed confidence that government instrumentalities will be able to manage the issue immediately.

“We might have to think about it… ako ang tinitingnan ko is because although ‘yung rate of increase lumalaki, ang baseline natin na sinimulan eh maliit lang so hopefully we’re still ano… we’re still going to be able to do it,” the President said. (PND)