Twenty-five COVID-19 deaths have been reported in Negros Occidental this August, 10 of which happened this week, the Provincial Incident Management Team (PIMT) reported.
Negros Occidental also had 238 active COVID-19 cases on Friday, August 26, the PIMT added.
Of the 10 deaths reported on Thursday, five of the fatalities were unvaccinated against COVID-19 and five had no records of immunization, Dr. Jessica Fama, medical specialist 3 of the Provincial Health Office, said.
She said the majority of those hit by COVID-19 in Negros Occidental who died were unvaccinated, had comorbidities or were senior citizens.
The Provincial Health Office is now campaigning for the vaccination of children with the start of the face-to-face classes, Fama said.
Under the PinasLakas 100-day vaccination drive ordered by President Ferdinand Marcos, which deadline is on October 8, they must vaccinate 90 percent of the target, which is 80 percent of the population, against COVID-19 in Negros Occidental, she said.
It is a tall order because that is about 680,000 people yet to be vaccinated with only a month to go, she said.
They also need to administer booster shots to 50 percent of the target, and so far they have only covered 6.52 percent so they need to reach 910,000 more residents, Fama added.
The complaint of the town and city health officers is that residents are not going to the vaccination sites anymore so they are reaching out to them , Fama said.*