The Emergency Operations Center-Task Force (EOC-TF) Tuesday, October 5, expressed alarm over the COVID-19 situation in Bacolod City, following 168 recorded deaths in September alone due to the virus.
Of the total number of fatalities, the EOC-TF records showed, 140 were unvaccinated residents, while the remaining 28 were vaccinated persons, City Administrator Em Legaspi-Ang, concurrent EOC executive director and COVID-19 Vaccination Council (CoVaC) coordinator, said.
This number is more than double the September 2020 fatalities recorded at 76, that was previously the highest in a single month since the pandemic stared, she said.
“We are averaging at 109 infections daily,” Ang said, noting that unvaccinated patients are mostly those who developed severe COVID-19 illness.
The EOC Hospital Capacity Utilization Rate (CUR) Report dated September 30, showed that 58 unvaccinated COVID-19 positive individuals developed severe illness upon contracting the virus.
They were all brought to the hospitals for intensive treatment, she added.
OIC-City Health Officer Dr. Edwin Miraflor Jr. said that rampant spread of COVID-19 was observed in areas with low vaccination rates.
“Despite the round-the-clock vaccination efforts of the city government, many residents are still hesitant to get vaccinated due to their vulnerability to fake news about COVID-19 vaccines, which they read on various social media platforms,” the EOC-TF said in a statement.
The EOC-TF also lamented the false belief of many residents regarding the existence of COVID – this “despite the congested COVID-19 wards in the government and private hospitals in Bacolod City.”
This false information and belief, the EOC-TF pointed out, had led to poor compliance with the minimum health protocols.
The city government, through the EOC-TF and the CoVaC, encourages Bacolod residents to get vaccinated, with the goal of achieving herd immunity, Ang said.
Various initiatives have been adopted to beef up Bacolod’s vaccination campaign, including the mobile vaccination (VAX-i), drive-through vaccination, and mall-based administration of COVID jabs, among others, she said.*