AS the May 9 national elections draw nearer, the national government is revving up its vaccination campaign even as the country continues to log record Covid-19 cases.

The government is constitutionally bound to hold the elections whether or not the country has reached the desired “population protection” threshold or majority of citizens already vaccinated.

It also aims to vaccinate 90 million by June.

As of January 10, 52.8 million individuals are fully vaccinated against Covid-19.

A total of 28,007 new coronavirus infections and 4,471 recoveries wered logged Tuesday.

The latest Covid-19 bulletin showed that there are 181,016 active cases while total recoveries rose to 2,792,946, or 92.3 percent of 3,026,473 infections since the pandemic started in March 2020.

Tuesday’s tally of fresh cases is lower than Monday’s 33,169.

Out of the active cases, 170,873 are mild, 2,863 are moderate, 5,521 are asymptomatic, 1,464 are severe, and 295 are critical.

“Of the 28,007 reported cases today, 27,604 (99%) occurred within the recent 14 days – Dec. 29, 2021 to Jan. 11, 2022,” the Department of Health reported.

The regions with the most cases in the recent two weeks were the National Capital Region with 15,256 or 55 percent of new infections; Calabarzon, 5,861 or 21 percent; and Central Luzon, 3,064 or 11 percent.

The death toll is now 52,511 with 219 new deaths, representing 1.74 percent of overall cases.

But Malacañang assured that the country’s national vaccination drive would not be hampered despite the upcoming May 2022 national and local elections.

This, after National Task Force against Covid-19 chief implementer and vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. expressed concern that the upcoming elections could have an impact on the daily vaccination output since local government units would be preoccupied as the election campaign kicks off next month.

“Of course, what we in the national government will do is make sure that hindi maha-hamper ang aming trabaho (our work will not be hampered), we will continue to focus on that,” acting Presidential Spokesperson and Cabinet Sec. Karlo Nograles said.

Nograles stressed the need for coordination between national and local governments to ensure that vaccination and other government services will remain operational.

He also acknowledged that some LGU officials are also running for reelection.

“The reality siyempre (of course) is that we have to coordinate with the local government units. And ang reality din po, pagdating naman sa local government units, many of them are elected public officials,” he added.

Nograles said the Department of the Interior and Local Government would have to ensure that LGUs continue to deliver vaccination services and remain “neutral” carrying out their duties.

“We will make sure that vaccination and our Covid response is not politicized and that everybody stays and remains neutral especially sa pamamahagi natin ng vaccines, dapat walang pinipili iyan (in administering vaccines, they should not favor anyone). And we will make sure that the targets are met,” he said.