SC seeks inclusion of approved Bar examinees in gov’t vaccine program
SENIOR Supreme Court Associate Justice Marvic Leonen, chairperson of the 2020-2021 Bar examinations, advised approved Bar applicants to get vaccinated from their respective local government units against COVID-19. “For the protection of the Bar personnel and examinees, we encourage our approved Bar applicants to avail of the free vaccination offered by their respective local government units,” a Bar bulletin stated.
According to the bulletin, the SC is now working with the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases to include in the national vaccination program Bar applicants who does not belong in any of the priority categories — A2 (senior citizens); A3 (persons with comorbidities); A4 (frontline personnel in essential sectors, including private sector workers required to be physically present at their designated workplaces outside their residences; employees in government agencies and instrumentalities, including government-owned and controlled corporations and local government units; and informal sector workers and self employed who may be required to work outside their residences, and those working in private households).
“We are working with the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) to include in the country’s vaccination program bar applicants who do not fall under any of the above categories. We have had positive discussions with the Vaccine Czar regarding this request,” the bulletin added.
At the same time, the Supreme Court is now working on the possible procurement of COVID-19 testing kits for Bar examinees.
“The Bar chairperson, with the support of the Court En Banc, aims to have all the approved Bar applicants fully vaccinated before November. In the meantime, we strongly encourage every bar applicant who falls under the priority groups to get vaccinated as soon as possible,”it said.
