Duterte, who has been criticized for his crackdown on the virus, stands by his decision not to allow schools to reopen. Duterte has urged those who do not want a vaccine to leave the country or face arrest. Duterte, who has been criticized for his “tough approach to containing the virus,” stands behind his decision not to reopen schools.
Yesterday Duterte announced at a meeting with representatives of the pandemic task force that he would order the arrest of people who refuse to be vaccinated. He also threatened to inject them with a version of the parasite drug ivermectin, which is intended for animals. Duterte said that his justification for the drastic arrests was the national emergency declared in the country by COVID-19 and the threat posed by unvaccinated people as possible transmitters of the virus.
Philippine President Duterte provided no legal basis for his arrest warrant, the Philippine Star reported. Duterte acknowledged that such a drastic measure as the arrest would be a strong-hand tactic if he could not find a legal way to enforce it.
The Philippine President threatened to send people to jail for refusing to be vaccinated against Coronavirus after the government raised its border controls for new cases of the delta variant. After reports of low turnout at vaccination sites, president Rodrigo Duterte threatened to use pigs against Filipinos refusing to be vaccinated against COVID-19. He also threatened to keep records of people who refuse vaccinations and to vaccinate them with ivermectin, an antiparasitic drug in animals that is rumored to help with COVID but has not been approved, the Philippine Star reported.
The government began its vaccination program in March after reports of low turnout at several vaccination centers across the country, as people scrambled for limited supplies of Pfizer and Biontech syringes.
MANILA – The Philippine president threatened to order the arrest of Filipinos who refuse to receive COVID-19 vaccinations, and has urged them to leave the country if they do not cooperate with efforts to end the health emergency. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte threatened on Monday to jail people who refuse to be vaccinated against COVID after reports emerged of low turnout at various vaccination sites across the country, amid criticism of the leadership’s handling of the pandemic that has killed 23,000 people in the country. Duterte, who has been in office since June, said in a televised address Monday night that he was angry with people who did not get vaccinated during the health crisis and helped spread the coronavirus.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has threatened to jail people who refuse to be vaccinated against coronavirus while the Philippines battling one of Asia’s worst outbreaks, with 1.3 million cases and more than 23,000 deaths. Duterte’s comments contradict those of his health officials, who have said people should be urged to get the COVID-19 vaccine, even if it is voluntary. Duterte received the first dose of the vaccine from Sinopharm on May 3.
A spokesman for Duterte insisted he would introduce mandatory vaccination. Justice Minister Menardo Guevarra countered Duterte’s comments on Tuesday by saying there would be no law forcing citizens to get vaccinated. If implemented, the tough measures threatened would boost vaccination in the Philippines.
Novavax has filed an initial data request for its emergency vaccine, Domingo said. Novavax is expected to supply the US with vaccines this month, vaccine czar Carlito Galvez said on Monday night. Sinovac Biotech plans to increase COVID-19 vaccine shipments to up to 6 million doses per month by September, he said.
A man receives a dose of COVID-19 vaccine at a vaccine center in Navotas City, Philippines. Potrivit to media reports and government data, in China and nine million doses from Sinovac and five million doses at AstraZeneca, Pfizer and Covax plants had been delivered 14.2 million doses of the vaccine to countries around the world as of June 17. Vietnam has received 4.4 million doses, with its vaccines coming from donations from Covax through a vaccine distribution program and government procurement.
In this photo of June 12, 2021, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte speaks during a ceremony marking the 123rd anniversary of Philippine independence in the provincial capital of the province of Bulacan, Philippines.
