Vaccines for chief execs
THEUNABATED rise of COVID-19 cases in Negros Occidental warranted the vaccination of local government chief executives were the number of COVID-19 cases are high. Department of Health ( DOH) those who were initially inoculated records show that 264 new cases with Astra is whether there are were added to Negros Occidental forthcoming stocks for their second over the weekend, bringing the total dose. My sister who is a medical of active cases to 2,181. doctor and immunocompromised Bacolod City mayor Bing because of a previous heart surgery Leonardia had a full media coverage had Astra. But she brushed the of his vaccination over the weekend. question aside and feels assured that As a senior citizen, the mayor opted to the first dose has given her ample get AstraZeneca saying he is “morally protection. bound” to use that vaccine despite Other chief executives who are reports of blood clot incidents as this scheduled for jabs are Gov. Bong is the brand that the city government Lacson, Mayor Neil Lizares of Talisay, ordered. Bago Mayor Nico Yulo, Sipalay Mayor
Mayor Bing said Astra is “legit, Gina Lizares, Binalbagan Mayor reliable and reasonably priced.” Alejandro Mirasol, and Murcia Mayor Bacolod was among the first to place Gerry Rojas. an order of 650,000 doses of Astra I am not sure about the protocol for 76 percent of the population in with Mayor Rojas because he was just order to achieve herd immunity. recently infected with COVID-19 and However, what the mayor had, came whether there is a window between from the Covax facility as Bacolod’s infection and vaccination. Cadiz supply may come in sometime July City’s Mayor Salvador Escalante or August yet. already got vaccinated as well.
Bacolod vice mayor El Cid Mayor Bing who is also the Familiaran meanwhile said that they chair of the League of Cities in the are giving health workers a deadline Philippines said that he sent a letter to avail of the vaccination program, to the president, appealing for a otherwise, they will give these shots reclassification and inclusion of LCEs to those who are next in the priority as frontline workers. list. He said there are still many “Cities are natural epicentres of frontliners who have not signed up as the pandemic due to highly dense they are waiting for other brands of population,” the mayor said and as vaccine since the last shipment only such, risk is unavoidable for these brought in the China-made, Sinovac. chief executives.
Ironically, while there is a very Meanwhile, with the travel low acceptability rate for Sinovac, moratorium lifted, the province and many doctors here opted to get that Bacolod are scheduled to receive and perhaps it’s because the process travellers provided they will allow used was the traditional way of themselves to be swabbed upon creating vaccines and the 28 days in arrival. between the doses, whereas Astra’s The process is different between second dose will be given after eight the though. Vice Gov. Jeffrey Ferrer weeks. said all residents of Negros Occidental
What is foremost on the minds of will be swabbed and placed in a holding room until their results are in. Since the province has its own molecular lab, results are expected to be released in less than 24 hours.
Only upon getting negative results will they be allowed to go home to their respective LGUs. Bacolod on the other hand will ferry residents to the Bays Center for swabbing and released to their families. If results turn out positive, the city government will fetch them from their residences and transferred to quarantine facilities.
Hmm. I guess the process of the province is more logical as it prevents exposure to others until cleared. Why would you send home anyone with an unknown status when it can cause probable spread in the domicile? Even if you give caution to isolate these travellers in their homes until results are out, chances are, it may not be followed, especially if the homes are not conducive for isolation.
I f we believe the national government, there is a light at the end of the tunnel after the announcement that we have completed contracts with vaccine-makers to provide a