Governors, mayors, and village chiefs will now be prioritized over indigents in the inoculation against COVID-19.
According to the League of Cities (LCP), the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases approved its request for the reclassification of local chief executives as “essential workers,” who are fourth in line to receive the coronavirus jabs.
“The move will reclassify 1,634 provincial governors and city and municipal mayors and 42,046 barangay captains all over the country to Category A4 or ‘frontline personnel in essential sectors including uniformed personnel and those in working sectors identified by the IATF as essential during ECQ (enhanced community quarantine)’ of the Interim National Immunization Technical Advisory Group,” the LCP said in a statement.
LCP president and Bacolod City Mayor Bing Leonardia said that local chief executives are frontliners, and their risk of exposure to COVID-19 is “high” when they perform their day-to-day duties.
He added prioritizing local government leaders in the vaccination program will “inspire” them to “work harder” in implementing their COVID-19 response efforts, including inoculation programs, amid an upsurge in infections.
