89 percent of cops fully vaccinated

MANILA, Philippines — At least 199,362 or 89.4 percent of the 223,000 members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) have been fully vaccinated.

PNP chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar said 21,000 are waiting for their second dose while only 2,638 are unvaccinated.

“Napakarami na ang nababakunahan na sa amin at ito ay napakaganda naman dahil ito ay nagresulta sa pagbaba ng aming infection rate,” Eleazar said in an interview over ABS-CBN’s Teleradyo.

He said the number of active cases in the PNP dropped by 83 percent at 538 yesterday compared to a high of 3,200 on Sept. 17.

Eleazar said active infections in the PNP are similar to the figures recorded in February and March.

The PNP has recorded 41,776 COVID-19 cases since last year.

At least 123 PNP personnel have succumbed to the virus.

‘Ramp up COVID-19 jabs for inmates’

Meanwhile, the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) reiterated its call for a faster vaccine rollout for  inmates.

CHR spokesperson Jacqueline de Guia welcomed the commitment of the Bureau of Corrections to vaccinate persons deprived of liberty and BuCor personnel across the country.

“The CHR has called attention to the condition of jails and detention facilities in the country as crowded prison conditions increase the risk of disease transmission. This condition makes detained individuals, especially the elderly and those with comorbidities, increasingly vulnerable to COVID-19,” De Guia said.

She said the low number of COVID cases among vaccinated inmates and correctional officers is a clear indication of the benefits of the vaccines. –  Janvic Mateo