The recent spike in COVID cases recorded in the Philippines reached its peak in mid April, and we are now seeing numbers subside and restrictions being eased. This is very positive news.
Community Vaccination Rollout has begun
The rollout of COVID vaccines has begun in the Philippines but unlike most Western countries, where there is a centralised national or state-based program, the Philippine rollout is being conducted by local government units and the private sector.
The rollout in local areas is still very much in its early days and is focused on vaccinating medical frontliners and people identified as being at high risk. We do know of a small number of staff who have already received vaccinations this way, but it is important to note that local rollouts vary widely from place to place and there is still a significant vaccine shortage in the country.
opitBPO Vaccine Rollout
optiBPO remains in discussions with a number of suppliers and has an agreement in place to receive a shipment of the US developed Novavax vaccine that is expected to arrive sometime between the end of August and December 2021.
We have also been placed on the list for additional doses with a second supplier and continue to watch the situation closely as more vaccines become available in the Philippines.
Once the vaccines do arrive, they will be available at no cost to all team members. opitBPO will fund the vaccination and associated hospital administration costs.
Additional Medical & Mental Health Support
As the pandemic continues, we remain very conscious of the impact that it presents to the physical and mental wellbeing of your team members.
We are pleased to welcome two new doctors and an additional nurse to our in-house medical team who will provide team members with free 24/7 consultations.
In addition, we have been running a series of mental health and wellness initiatives for all staff and provide free phone and clinical counselling via our healthcare partner, Maxicare.
If there are any questions, please direct them to your Account Manager.