Coronavirus: Philippines accelerates vaccination drive as shots arrive from China; Australian city in lockdown

Philippines recorded 10,016 new infections on Monday, bringing the overall tally to 731,894, with deaths at 13,186, one of the highest caseloads in Asia

Manila and surrounding provinces were on Monday once again placed under enhanced community quarantine, the highest tier in its containment protocols

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Workers wearing protective suits walks beside residents at a public market during the start of a stricter lockdown in Manila. Photo: AP

Published: 8:26pm, 29 Mar 2021Updated: 8:44pm, 29 Mar 2021

The Philippines expects to ramp up its vaccination drive with the arrival on Monday of the first batch of government-bought doses as more than 10,000 fresh Covid-19 cases, a new record, were tallied and a lockdown reimposed in Manila.

President Rodrigo Duterte welcomed the arrival of the first tranche of 1 million Covid-19 doses vaccines bought from China. A total 25 million doses have been procured by the national government from vaccine manufacturer Sinovac.

Earlier this month, the country kicked off its vaccination programme with more than 1.5 million supplies donated by China and the World Health Organization’s Covax facility but only health workers were lined up for the jabs.

“The arrival of these vaccines is very timely,” Health Secretary Francisco Duque said. “As we finish vaccinating health care frontliners, we will be able to use this new batch of bought CoronaVac vaccines to extend vaccination to vulnerable Filipinos – or those with pre-existing conditions and comorbidities – who are at most risk of severe Covid-19 and highest chance of dying.”

Manila and surrounding provinces were put back under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), the highest tier in its containment protocols, for the first time since May 2020 to try to quell the surge in cases, despite inroads late last year towards controlling its epidemic.

The country recorded 10,016 new infections on Monday, bringing the overall tally to 731,894, with deaths at 13,186, one of the highest caseloads in Asia.

Health authorities blame the spike on poor public compliance with prevention measures and the presence of new and more transmissible coronavirus variants in the capital region, which accounts for about a third of economic activity.