(GMA News) Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año on Friday clarified that the 23 cities in the country with at least 70% vaccination coverage have reached only population protection and not herd immunity as he earlier claimed.

In a message to GMA News Online, Año said these areas have 70% of their population or “priority groups” fully vaccinated against COVID-19. He said herd immunity is based on the actual population of a particular area.

“I would like to correct na hindi pa yan herd immunity kundi population protection dahil more than 70% ng target population (priority groups) are already vaccinated. Herd immunity is based on actual population,” he said.

(I would like to correct that that is not yet herd immunity but population protection because more than 70% ng target population [priority groups] are already vaccinated.)