Duterte says COVID-19 vaccine near, urges hope

President Rodrigo Duterte, in his fifth State of the Nation Address, urged Filipinos not to lose hope and announced that a COVID-19 vaccine is "just around the corner."

He expressed confidence that the virus will soon be overcome and mentioned appealing to Chinese President Xi Jinping for early access to a potential vaccine.

Duterte stated that China is among countries developing a vaccine that could be available as early as September.

The President also thanked frontline workers for their service and acknowledged their sacrifices.

He admitted initial difficulties in ramping up testing capacity but highlighted that there are now 93 accredited testing laboratories nationwide.

The government aims to conduct 1.4 million tests by the end of July with a quick turnaround time of 48 to 72 hours.