The Supreme Court (SC) has asked all trial court judges and their personnel who would like to avail themselves of vaccinations against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) to register online not later than April 22.
In a circular, Court Administrator Jose Midas P. Marquez said registration with the SC’s Office of the Court Administrator (OCA) can be done through https://tinyurl.com/6y3xnbnw.
“If the city or municipality of their place of residence is not included in the drop down of the link, they can choose the nearest city or municipality from their residence where they intend to register and be inoculated, considering that the inoculation is residence-based,” the circular stated.
To assure sufficient supply of vaccines, the SC said the information relayed to OCA will be shared with the National Task Force against COVID-19 (NTF) “pursuant to the provisions and safeguards” provided under the Data Privacy Act.
In his first online meeting with all trial court judges and court personnel last April 13, Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo assured that the SC will look into and address all their concerns on COVID-19.
“We assure you that the Court En Banc (full court) will study the issues that you raised and will pass and approve appropriate issuances in due time,” Gesmundo told judges and court employees.
About 30,000 officials and employees of the judiciary has been included by the NTF in the priority population group A4 (category A4) of the Philippine National Deployment and Vaccination Plan for COVID-19 Vaccines.
Last April 5, the SC wrote the NTF for the inclusion of all judiciary officials and employees in the priority population group A4.
It told the NTF that “justices, judges, and court personnel of the Philippine Judiciary (comprised of the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, Court of Tax Appeals, Sandiganbayan, and trial courts) are frontline government workers in the justice sector, whose functions are essential at all times, especially during the pandemic.”
Based on NTF’s approval, the SC said that vaccinations for category A4 will start in May 2021.