MANILA - Due to the low COVID-19 inoculation coverage in the Bangsamoro region (BARMM), locals in the Muslim-majority area have to get vaccinated to enter mosques, Interior Sec. Eduardo Año said on Monday.

Año said in a taped public briefing that regardless of the COVID-19 alert level, Filipinos attending religious services in churches and mosques should be vaccinated, according to the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) guidelines.

"Lahat po ng ating religious groups ay sumusunod po. Atin pong ipatutupad sa BARMM area na 'yung mga sasampa po sa mosque ay bakunado," he said.

The Philippine National Police will coordinate with local authorities for the implementation of these IATF guidelines para po protektado talaga 'yung mga kapatid nating Muslim na sumasamba sa mosque.

"Mga bakunado lang po papasukin," Año said.

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Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez earlier said he was warned by the Department of Health and the World Health Organization that Bangsamoro may experience a "mini" COVID-19 surge due to its low vaccination coverage.

As of Monday, April 11, only 34.13 percent, or 1.19 million, of BARMM's 4.358 million population has received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, he said.

It is the lowest among the country's 17 regions in terms of vaccination coverage.

Galvez earlier said fake news and misinformation discouraged some people in the region to get their coronavirus jabs.

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