QUEZON CITY, (PIA) -- Additional 2 million doses of Sinovac’s CoronaVac vaccines arrived Thursday morning via Cebu Pacific flight 5J671 at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 2 in Pasay City.

This batch is considered the "biggest single-day delivery" specifically of Sinovac since the arrival of first batch last February.

The shipment was welcomed by Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, Vaccine Czar Carlito Galvez, and local government officials Mayor Francisco "Isko Moreno" Domagoso, together with Vice Mayor Maria Sheilah "Honey" Lacuna-Pangan on the account of the 400, 000 privately purchased vaccines by IP Biotech for the City of Manila.

Meanwhile, the remaining 1.6 million of the total doses were purchased by the government to be allocated in COVID-19 hotspots or identified high risk areas within the country.

“The continuous delivery of vaccines in the Philippines furthers the possibility of the country to achieve herd immunity before the year ends relative to the assessment of some political think tanks especially with the cooperation of the private sector in speeding up the vaccine rollout,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a statement.

Sec. Roque added that from the 350,000 daily inoculation target, the country is set to boost its national vaccination program at 500,000 inoculations per day.

At present, vaccination hubs such as the recently inspected casino hotel in Parañaque City is actively sought to efficiently deploy at least 6,000 daily inoculations to those who are working in the private sector through the tripartite agreement.  (PIA NCR/with reports from OJT Janna Pineda)