Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said that work-from-home workers in “temporary work arrangement” are included under the A4 category or frontline personnel in essential sectors in the government’s COVID-19 vaccination program.
“Pero ‘yung mga nasa work from home na normally nasa work at the premises, sila po ay normally kapag pinarerequire sa trabaho nila eh makakasama sa A4 (But those in a work from home who are normally working at the premises when required by their jobs, they are part of the A4),” the Palace official explained in his virtual presser Tuesday, June 8.
The government earlier this week began its inoculation of A4 category, or essential workers.
READ: Gov’t to start COVID-19 vaccination on A4 priority group on June 7
Even government workers who are not part of the 30 percent skeletal workforce are included in the inoculation of the A4 category, Roque said, adding that this is to realize the goal of “normal work arrangements.”
Government offices are still operating with only 30 percent of its workforce as ordered by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, but the spokesperson assured them that they can have their COVID-19 vaccines already.
“Hindi naman ibig sabihin palibhasa hindi sila kasama dun sa 30 percent workforce, eh hindi na sila mapapabahagi dun sa A4 (It doesn’t mean that just because they are not included in the 30 percent workforce is they are not included in the A4),” Roque said.
READ: 12 million workers from 'NCR+8' prioritized in A4 COVID-19 vaccination – DOH
“Kaya nga po natin sila sinama para tuluyang maging normal ang work arrangements ng ating mga nagtatrabaho sa pribado at pambulikong mga sektor (The reason why they are included there is so that our private and public sectors can go back to normal work arrangements),” he added.
The Philippines has so far fully vaccinated 1.544 million individuals, comprising 1.4 percent of the population. At least 112,621 individuals are being inoculated per day last week with COVID-19 vaccines.
Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said that they are expecting the arrival of more vaccines this June and July to ramp up the inoculation of the public.