WITH major cities in the region gearing up vaccination rollouts to their constituents, the prospects of normalcy among the Warays is no longer far-fetched. The soonest could be sometime early next year, if not this jolly season of December.
Half of the target population now vaccinated
Ormoc City currently holds the highest vaccination rollout coverage in Eastern Visayas after 54% of its target population received the jabs.
Road to 100% vaccinated
In his State of the City Address (SOCA), Mayor Richard Gomez said that 54,376 residents with ages from 18 to 65 have already completed their vaccine doses.
Gomez said that vaccine donations from the COVAX and the 270,000 AstraZeneca doses bought by the city government are enough to cover all the qualified residents in the said age bracket.
“The latest data we got from the DOH Eastern Visayas Regional Vaccination Center as of October 14 is that we are No. 1 in vaccination coverage with 54 percent of our qualified residents aged 18 and above or 88,718 already covered with at least one dose.”
“Life is more precious”
Gomez said that his administration was quick to seize the opportunity to buy the vaccines despite their cost.
“Life is more precious, and no cost should be spared to save every Ormocanon as much as possible,” says the official.
A hopeful future
Earlier this month, 39 villages in Ormoc held a vaccination drive for the estimated 160,000 people.
Like everyone else, the solon expressed his excitement at the possibility of a future free from the virus fears.
“I am excited at the prospect that hopefully, we can have a semblance of our past activities soon. I am excited at the thought of being able to have concerts again in our plaza, and athletic and tourism events to bring in tourists so that our economy could recover soon,” he added.
Mega vaccination center in Tacloban
In Tacloban City, the city government announced on October 18 the opening of its new Mega Vaccination Center at the Tacloban City Convention Center.
The new site will cater to Taclobanons ages 18 and above, as the national government opens up its Covid-19 vaccination program to the public.
Walk-ins accepted
The center would serve walk-in beneficiaries as long as they can present a government-issued ID or barangay certificate.
The new Mega Vaccination Center can serve up to 5,000 individuals a day, according to Mayor Alfred Romualdez.
Ramping up vaccination in Biliran
In Biliran province, the health department led by Dr. Exuperia B. Sabalberino, DOH EVCHD regional director, visited and met with the provincial health officer, local chief executives, and all municipal health officers on Wednesday and discussed the plan to ramp up its Covid-19 vaccination activities.
Biliran is currently at 38% in its vaccination status. The local officials agreed to strengthen their vaccination strategy, and mobilize the rollout in the province to efficiently reach the goal in achieving herd immunity in the entire province, or vaccinate 70% of the target population, by next month.
The DOH 8, in a statement, said the mayors of all eight municipalities in Biliran, together with their respective municipal health officers, vowed to work together to realize this goal.
On Thursday, DOH reported that the region received some 403,420 doses of Covid-19 vaccines.
Merry Christmas
“Achieving herd immunity is very doable for the province of Biliran. A little push and we have a light of hope that Biliran will have a Merry Christmas," Health Director Sabalbarino said in a post.
She appealed for support and cooperation on the vaccination program.
“The ambitious plan,” she admited, “is to declare Biliran as the first province in the region to achieve herd immunity.”