THE PHILIPPINES took delivery of about 500,000 more doses of CoronaVac made by China’s Sinovac Biotech Ltd. on Thursday, according to the Presidential Palace.
About 1.5 million more doses of CoronaVac would arrive on May 7, presidential spokesman Herminio “Harry” L. Roque, Jr. told a televised news briefing.
The country expects to receive 500,000 more doses of CoronaVac next month, vaccine czar Carlito G. Galvez, Jr. told the same briefing. About 4.5 million doses of CoronaVac will arrive in June, he added.
The Philippines has received 3.5 million doses of CoronaVac, including one million doses donated by China.
Mr. Galvez said the shipment of about 15,000 doses of Sputnik V developed by Russia’s Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, which was supposed to be delivered on Wednesday, is expected to arrive on May 1.
The Department of Health (DoH) reported 8,276 coronavirus infections on Thursday, bringing the total to 1.03 million. The death toll rose by 114 to 17,145, while recoveries increased by 6,636 to 942,239, it said in a bulletin.
There were 69,354 active cases, 1.1% of which were critical, 94.9% were mild, 1.6% did not show symptoms, 1.4% were severe and 0.92% were moderate.
About 11 million Filipinos have been tested for the coronavirus as of April 27, according to DoH’s tracker website.
The coronavirus has sickened about 150.3 million and killed 3.2 million people worldwide, according to the Worldometers website, citing various sources including data from the World Health Organization.
About 127.8 million people have recovered, it said.
Mr. Galvez said the government expects to take delivery of as many as 10 million coronavirus vaccines starting June.
About 2.3 million doses of the vaccine developed by Pfizer, Inc. will arrive not later than June. Mr. Galvez said the shipment already includes the 117,000 doses of Pfizer vials that were supposed to arrive in February.
About 94,000 doses of the vaccine developed by Moderna, Inc. and two million doses of Sputnik V are also expected to arrive in June.
At least 1.3 million doses of the vaccine developed by AstraZeneca, Plc, which were paid for by the private sector, will arrive in the second half.
The Philippines aims to vaccinate 70 million Filipinos this year, but as of April 27, only about 1.8 million doses have been given out. Mr. Galvez said the government expects to vaccine 500,000 Filipinos daily in the third quarter.
Meanwhile, Trade Secretary Ramon M. Lopez told Radyo 5 he was recommending the reopening of some salon and barbershop operations in areas under a modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) to fast-track job recovery.
The government has extended the modified strict lockdown in Metro Manila and nearby provinces until May 14.
Personal care services such as beauty salons, massage therapy, cosmetic clinics, nail spas and reflexology centers are barred in areas under the modified lockdown.
Trade Undersecretary Ruth B. Castelo told a separate news briefing the agency had recommended allowing personal care services to open at 50% capacity and restaurants to offer indoor dining with an initial 10% capacity. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza, Vann Marlo M. Villegas and Jenina P. Ibañez