The health minister said Italy has signed contracts for vaccines from AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, Sanofi, Pfizer, CureVac and Moderna.

The World Health Organization has identified 49 "candidate vaccines" at the stage of clinical trials in humans by mid-November, up from 11 in mid-June.

Foreign affairs officials on Wednesday said 11 more Filipinos abroad have contracted the coronavirus, bringing the total to 11,719. 

The chief implementer of the government's COVID-19 policy Wednesday expressed support for the conduct of face-to-face classes in medical schools, citing the need for more health workers in the fight against the pandemic.

“As much as possible, we should limit the number of people going out, especially the elderly and minors; but we will listen to the Metro Manila Mayors and the health experts on what their recommendation will be,” Año said.