Media inclusion in vaccine priority list lauded

MANILA, Philippines — Recognizing the importance of keeping the public informed about the pandemic, Sen. Bong Go lauded the national government for including media workers in the list of essential sectors to be prioritized for COVID-19 vaccination.

“We thank the national government for listening to our appeal to include members of the media in the priority list for COVID-19 vaccines. The media is an important sector and is essential because of the work they do. They bring news and proper information to the public,” said Go.

On Tuesday, testing czar Secretary Vince Dizon confirmed that members of the media would be included in the A4 group of priority sectors who have “high levels of interaction with or exposure to the public” that needs to get vaccinated.

More hospital beds

Go also appealed to concerned agencies to speed up the construction of additional modular hospitals equipped with isolation facilities and intensive care unit (ICU) beds to address rising COVID-19 cases in the country.

“The need for more facilities that can handle severe and critical conditions must also be considered. Let us not wait for our sick kababayans to die outside the hospitals. Let’s do all we can to rescue and cure them,” said Go.

Last Monday, National Task Force against COVID-19 chief implementer and vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said the country needs 2,000 more ICU beds. Metro Manila hospitals have 1,395 ICU beds at present.