New clinical trials on vaccines that can fight the emerging variants of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) may commence soon, Malacañang announced on Saturday. In a statement, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) has approved the recommendation to consider the application for the conduct of the trials, subject to the consideration of the Food and Drug Administration. The study will focus on people of different age groups and people with comorbidities, or the immune-compromised to be more inclusive in addressing the pandemic. Also approved was the recommendation to prioritize

The city government has extended the ‘Sunday lockdown’ amid the threat posed by the Beta and Delta variants of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19). In an advisory on Saturday, the Zamboanga Task Force Covid-19 said the lockdown will be on September 5, 12, 19, and 26. The task force said only those going to places of worship and health, disaster risk reduction management (DRRM) and security front-liners, and those involved in an emergency situation are allowed to go out. All others are advised to stay home while children 17 years old and below are not allowed outdoors. Religious activities shall be

The additional PHP888.12 million released by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) for the special risk allowance (SRA) of health care workers will cover more than 97,000 front-liners, a Department of Health (DOH) official said Saturday. Once the DBM issues the Special Allotment Release Order (SARO) on Monday, the funds will be downloaded to hospitals as soon as possible, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a Laging Handa briefing. “This will cover about 97,560 health care workers (for this batch’s SRA),” she said. Meanwhile, the DOH has yet to determine the number of workers who have not received

As the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) continues to be at the forefront in helping the government in its Covid-19 vaccination initiative, the humanitarian organization drove one of its Bakuna Buses to Barangay Tandang Kutyo, Tanay, Rizal to vaccinate priority groups from A2 to A5. The PRC plans to vaccinate 550 individuals from Tandang Kutyo, Tanay, as this barangay is one of the hard-to-reach areas in Rizal, as mentioned by the residents there. Residents said a tricycle is the only means of transportation. That is why if there is a vaccination site in Poblacion, residents have to spend PHP200 to reach

The European Union (EU) and pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca have reached an agreement after a dispute on Covid-19 vaccine delivery schedules, announced a spokesperson here on Friday. The settlement will ensure the delivery of the remaining vaccine doses still due to EU member states, and put an end to a lawsuit that the EU had launched against the pharmaceutical company before the Brussels Court, explained European Commission Spokesperson for Health Stefan De Keersmaecker. By the end of the third quarter, 60 million doses will be delivered, and 75 million more by the end of the fourth quarter. Another delivery of 65