Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra on Thursday said an allocation from the government’s coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccine stockpile has been made for persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) in the country’s prison system.
“At least 30,000 vaccine doses have been allocated for PDLs under BuCor (Bureau of Correction)’s jurisdiction. These vaccines will be farmed out to the various prison facilities of the BuCor for administration,” Guevarra said in a message to reporters.
“My understanding is that the actual inoculation of PDLs need not be done on these national vaccination days. The BuCor will receive the vaccine allocation, then bahala na sila sa (then it will be up to them to handle the) distribution and actual administration of the vaccine,” he added.
Guevarra was referring to the three-day ‘Bayanihan, Bakunahan’ drive which ran from Monday to Wednesday.
On Thursday, the National Task Force against Covid-19 allowed local government units (LGUs) to extend the three-day Covid-19 vaccination drive until Friday as a “large” number of individuals are still flocking at the vaccination sites to get the jabs.
Guevarra added that in the coming days, the National Vaccination Operations Center will deliver the vaccines directly to the various prison facilities of the BuCor across the country.
“The BuCor will provide its own vaccinators,” the DOJ chief said.
As of November 19, the BuCor said 37,513 PDLs or 77.28 percent out of the total of 48,539 PDLs in the country’s prisons and penal farms have been vaccinated against Covid-19 — 9,359 of whom have been fully vaccinated.
Source: Philippines News Agency