MANILA – Western Visayas is now among the priority areas for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines due to rising infections. “We hear you, and they will be released. Forthcoming po,” said Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque.
The region has been included in the “National Capital Region Plus 8, Plus 10” where the bulk of COVID-19 vaccines would be allotted as ordered by President Rodrigo Duterte, according to Roque in a presser in Solaire in Pasay City yesterday.
Other areas in the “NCR Plus 8, Plus 10” were Metro Manila, Metro Cebu, Metro Davao, Bulacan, Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Pampanga, Rizal, regions 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 11, and Caraga.
“Ang priority na po natin is Metro Manila Plus 8, Plus 10. Iyong Plus 10 areas are the areas na nakaka-experience po ngayon ng surges,”
Last week, various sectors in Iloilo City appealed for more vaccines from the national government.
“It is being addressed by the National Task Force (Against COVID-19). You don’t have to worry. The President ordered an equitable distribution of vaccines,” said Roque. “There will be relief.”
Nine cities and 12 provinces, including those in the Visayas and Mindanao, are under the second strictest lockdown level at least until the end of June due to an uptick in coronavirus cases.
In a separate press conference on Wednesday, the Department of Health tagged Western Visayas as one of the four regions that are currently “high risk” for COVID-19.
Epidemiologist Alethea de Guzman said Western Visayas was considered high risk because its average daily attack rate – the number of infected people per 100,000 population – has gone above seven.
De Guzman also said the region has a high COVID-19 bed occupancy rate (as of June 21).
Around 70 percent to nearly 85 percent of Intensive Care Units (ICU) beds in the region were already occupied by COVID-hit patients, she pointed out.
The OCTA Research Group, in its latest report released on Tuesday night, tagged the cities of Bacolod and Iloilo as among the localities with the highest average COVID-19 cases from June 15 to 21.
According to the research group, Bacolod City reported 114 average new cases per day, while Iloilo City has an average of 88 new cases per day, making them among “the areas of concern.”/PN
