GenSan assured of jab
GENERAL SANTOS CITY — Residents here, along with those in other areas in Mindanao, were assured of access to the Covid-19 vaccines being rolled out by the national government with their arrival Sunday.
Cabinet Secretary Karlo Alexei Nograles gave this assurance here on Saturday. Nograles said the city was earlier identified among the pilot areas in the country for Covid-19 vaccination, thus it will get its fair share of the jabs. He urged local government units (LGU) in the area to help convince the public on the importance of getting inoculated in the face of some doubts on the vaccines’ safety and efficacy.
LGU told to scale up preparations for the rollout of the vaccine to be given first to medical frontliners.
“It is the only way for us right now to protect our families and communities from this disease,” Nograles said.
The official was in General Santos for the city’s 82nd founding anniversary and culminating activities for the week-long 32nd Kalilangan Festival.
He advised LGU to scale up their preparations for the rollout of the vaccine to be given first to medical frontliners. Nograles said the vaccination will prioritize the health and medical front-liners since they are the once at greater risk of exposure and considered as the “first line of defense” of communities against the disease.
He added most LGU have completed the masterlist of the priority individuals and are only waiting for the arrival of the vaccines. “Hopefully, the other vaccines like Pfizer and AstraZeneca will also be delivered soon so we can go full-scale with the vaccination program,” he said. Nograles graced the wreath-laying ceremony at the monument of the city’s founder, Gen. Paulino Santos, and the culmination of its foundation anniversary celebration and Kalilangan Festival on Saturday afternoon.
The local government shifted anew to a digital celebration of the annual festival due to the pandemic. He lauded the city for pushing through with the festival and finding innovative ways to celebrate its rich culture and traditions under the new normal.