ILOILO City – A total of 610 healthcare workers and other frontliners in this southern city have completed their vaccination against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
They got their second dose of Sinovac-Biotech’s CoronaVac vaccine during yesterday’s vaccination rollout at the Ateneo de Iloilo in Mandurriao district here.
These individuals who belonged to the Department of Health’s (DOH) A1 priority population received their initial doses on March 14.
Mayor Jerry Treñas visited the vaccination site. He said the city received another batch of at least 4,000 doses of the China-made vaccines from the national government.
These will be administered to the next batch of city’s medical frontliners next week.
Treñas said he is seeking assurance from National Task Force Against COVID-19 chief implemeter Carlito Galvez Jr. for more vaccines for Iloilo or Western Visayas.
“Sa nag-abot sa aton nga 4,000 (doses), either ang 2,000 sina obrahon ta first dose kag i-reserve ang 2,000 for the second dose or ilarga ta na lang tanan para mas madamo mabakunahan,” the mayor said.
He added: “Maistorya lang ko kay Secretary Galvez. Manigurado lang ta para may second dose kita nga madison.”
Earlier, Treñas requested Galvez for the provision of 105,250 more doses of COVID-19 vaccines for Iloilo City.
Over 6,000 healthcare personnel under the A1 priority group have yet to be inoculated.
“Given the rapid mutations of the virus and emergence of new COVID-19 variants, local chief executives in Western Visayas are determined to expedite the vaccination process to reduce the number of deaths, sustain our economy and achieve herd immunity. The efforts of our fallen frontliners must not be for naught,” Treñas stressed.
Data from the City Health Office showed that a total of 31,900 senior citizens were eligible under the A2 priority population, and 16,065 individuals below 60 years old with co-morbidities fall under A3 priority group.
Citing the DOH Region 6 data, the city mayor further noted that only 35,394 of the 124,994 master-listed eligible population in Priority A1 have been inoculated, for an accomplishment rate of 28.32 percent (for the first dose).
Treñas added that as of April 11, 2021, only 7.49 percent have received their second dose, notwithstanding the directive for simultaneous vaccination of the first three priority groups.
“It is worth mentioning that ‘red’ areas in Western Visayas which equally suffer from surges of new cases and local transmission have yet to receive sufficient COVID-19 vaccines to finish A1 priority group,” Treñas lamented.
‘UNDER CONTROL’
If he were to assess, Treñas said COVID-19 cases in Iloilo City is under control.
As of April 12, the city had 302 active cases.
“Aton ‘ya subong under control but be guarded because anytime nga mapabay-an ta lang diutay masaka gid ini,” Treñas stressed.
The city mayor also noted that this southern city could not implement travel restrictions against Bacolod City, Negros Occidental and other provinces in the region because all are under the same classification (modified general community quarantine).
“So whether nagasaka kaso nila like Antique, Capiz and Roxas City, we cannot have some travel restrictions under the omnibus rules of the IATF (Inter-Agency Task Force). So we will just have to bite the bullet and pray that we will not be infected,” Treñas added./PN
