MANILA, Philippines — At least 35.5 million workers are targeted to be inoculated against COVID-19 after the government simplified the A4 category or the essential workers group, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) said Saturday.
“The first phase of vaccine deployment for the expanded A4 group will be focused on approximately 13 million additional workers in NCR+8 since these areas make up the majority of COVID-19 cases in the country,” the NEDA said in a statement.
“Another 22.5 million workers will subsequently be included from areas outside NCR+8, bringing the total estimate to 35.5 million,” it added.
The NCR+8 comprises the National Capital Region (NCR), Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal, Bulacan, Pampanga, Metro Cebu, and Metro Davao.
On Friday, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque announced that the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) simplified the A4 category to include all government and private sector workers, informal sector workers, and those who work in private households who need to physically report to work.