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Philippines to get 20 million doses of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine - Roque

Jamaine Punzalan, ABS-CBN News
Updated as of Jan 19 07:04 PM

MANILA (UPDATE) — Malacañang confirmed on Tuesday that the Philippines will get 20 million doses of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine, as the country pursues procurement deals with various drug firms. Read more »

Vaccine manufacturing is lumpy, supply not as good as hoped, UK says

Guy Faulconbridge and Kate Holton, Reuters
Posted at Jan 18 06:52 PM

Britain's vaccine rollout is limited by a "lumpy" manufacturing process with production changes by Pfizer and a delay by AstraZeneca that could lead to brief supply disruption, Vaccine Deployment Minister Nadhim Zahawi said on Monday. Read more »

Duterte's COVID-19 vaccination 'solely between him, his doctors'

ABS-CBN News
Posted at Jan 18 05:34 PM

President Rodrigo Duterte's vaccination against COVID-19 is "solely between him and his doctors," his spokesman said on Monday, over calls that the Chief Executive be the first to get the jabs to build public confidence.  Read more »

‘Limited supply’: Roque stands by ‘hindi pwede pihikan’ remark on COVID-19 vaccines

ABS-CBN News
Updated as of Jan 18 10:33 PM

President Rodrigo Duterte’s spokesman Harry Roque on Monday stood by his “hindi pwede pihikan” advice for Filipinos as regards the COVID-19 vaccines they could take for free from the government, citing “limited supply”.   Read more »

Palace: 'New normal' areas 'approved in principle'

Jamaine Punzalan, ABS-CBN News
Updated as of Jan 18 04:03 PM

An inter-agency task force leading the country's COVID-19 response has "approved in principle" a "new normal" quarantine level for areas which have had no transmission of the respiratory disease for a while, Malacañang said on Monday.  Read more »

Sinovac's COVID-19 vaccine not yet a done deal? 'Wrong,' says Palace

Jamaine Punzalan and Pia Gutierrez, ABS-CBN News
Updated as of Jan 18 09:40 PM

The Philippines has a "binding contract" with China for its COVID-19 vaccine, President Rodrigo Duterte's spokesman said on Monday, refuting 2 officials' statement that supplies from Chinese vaccine developers were not yet a done deal. Read more »

Philippines includes UAE, Hungary in travel ban

Jamaine Punzalan, ABS-CBN News
Posted at Jan 15 09:43 PM

The government has banned until the end of the month the entry of foreign travelers from 32 other countries that reported the variant first detected in the UK. Read more »

DTI backs easing pandemic age restriction on going out

ABS-CBN News
Posted at Jan 15 04:24 PM

The Department of Trade and Industry said on Thursday it supports gradually easing of age restrictions down to 10 years old to boost the economy, which the COVID-19 pandemic dragged into recession.   Read more »

'Tira nang tira, wala namang alam,' Duterte spokesman says of Sinovac critics

Jamaine Punzalan, ABS-CBN News
Posted at Jan 15 04:22 PM

Critics of the COVID-19 vaccine from China's Sinovac Biotech are ignorant, President Rodrigo Duterte's spokesman said on Friday, as Philippines lagged behind its regional counterparts is launching a mass inoculation drive.  Read more »

Philippines to get bulk of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 jabs in 2022

Jamaine Punzalan, ABS-CBN News
Posted at Jan 15 02:04 PM

The Philippines will get the bulk of its COVID-19 vaccines from British drugs group AstraZeneca in 2022, Malacañang said on Friday.  Read more »

Philippines expands contact-tracing efforts to combat new COVID-19 variant

Jamaine Punzalan, ABS-CBN News
Posted at Jan 15 12:15 PM

The Philippines is boosting its contact-tracing efforts to halt the spread of a new COVID-19 variant which experts warn could be more contagious than earlier counterparts, Malacañang said on Friday. Read more »

Philippines extends travel curbs until month-end over new COVID-19 variant

Jamaine Punzalan, ABS-CBN News
Updated as of Jan 15 12:49 PM

The Philippines has extended until the end of the month a ban on travelers from 32 countries earlier included in the restriction to halt the spread of a new, more contagious COVID-19 variant, Malacañang said on Friday. Read more »

Duterte: National recovery 'within sight' as Philippines secures COVID-19 shots

Jamaine Punzalan, ABS-CBN News
Posted at Jan 14 07:03 PM

MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte said national recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic is "within sight" as the Philippines secures vaccine jabs against the respiratory disease that has led to nearly a year-long lockdown and economic recession. Read more »

DOH denies 'kickvacc' in coronavirus immunization race

Jamaine Punzalan, ABS-CBN News
Posted at Jan 14 05:32 PM

The Department of Health on Thursday denied speculation that kickbacks could have pushed authorities to procure the COVID-19 vaccine from China's Sinovac Biotech, which some lawmakers have flagged for its price and lower efficacy rate.  Read more »

Philippines eyes vaccinating 5 million people vs coronavirus by June

Jamaine Punzalan, ABS-CBN News
Posted at Jan 14 05:02 PM

The Philippines eyes inoculating some 5 million people against the novel coronavirus by the middle of the year, Malacañang said on Thursday. Read more »

January quarantine classifications stay despite new COVID-19 variant

ABS-CBN News
Posted at Jan 14 04:16 PM

Quarantine classifications for January will remain unchanged, Malacañang said on Thursday, even after local scientists detected the new, more contagious COVID-19 variant in a Filipino who just returned home from Dubai.    Read more »

Cocky? Duterte spokesman says won't tweak COVID-19 vaccine messaging

Jamaine Punzalan, ABS-CBN News
Posted at Jan 14 03:47 PM

President Rodrigo Duterte's spokesman refused on Thursday to adjust his messaging on COVID-19 vaccines, after some lawmakers criticized his recent remark that Filipinos cannot be choosy on which jab they would get. Read more »

Philippines likely to ban foreign travelers from UAE after Pinoy gets new COVID-19 variant

Jamaine Punzalan, ABS-CBN News
Updated as of Jan 14 03:46 PM

The Philippines is likely to ban the entry of foreign travelers from the United Arab Emirates to halt spread of the new, more contagious variant of COVID-19, Malacañang said on Thursday.    Read more »

'Not impossible' for Duterte to get COVID-19 vaccine first, says spokesman

Jamaine Punzalan, ABS-CBN News
Posted at Jan 14 02:49 PM

It is "not impossible" for President Rodrigo Duterte to be the first to get vaccinated against COVID-19 even if he said that government officials would be the last to get jabs against the respiratory disease, his spokesman said on Thursday. Read more »

Palace: China sold COVID-19 vaccine to Philippines at 'BFF' price

Jamaine Punzalan, ABS-CBN News
Posted at Jan 14 02:20 PM

MANILA — Beijing offered the Philippines the COVID-19 vaccine from its state-backed Sinovac Biotech at a "BFF" or "best friend forever" price, Malacañang said on Thursday, after a lawmaker urged the government to rethink the procurement over efficacy concerns.    Read more »