Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson was surprised by a Provincial Health Office report on Wednesday, May 13, that only 16.46 percent of the targeted health care workers (HCWs) in Negros Occidental have fully been immunized against COVID-19.
He stressed the need to show a high performance rate to encourage the national government to provide Negros Occidental with more vaccines.
The governor also called on the mayors to continue to convince their constituents to sign up to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
He was expecting that by now the vaccination of the HCWs would be finished that is why the inoculation of senior citizens had started, Lacson said, adding that he has asked the PHO for an updated report.
Lacson said he was informed that the national government will have a bigger rollout of vaccines in July and August so the province needs to show a high vaccination performance so its supply will not be limited.
Many people are asking when they can be vaccinated but unfortunately they are of the lower age group whose category has not been reached yet so they will have to wait, Lacson said.
“Those who will still refuse (to be vaccinated), you are really missing an opportunity to protect yourselves. Don’t hesitate, all experts are saying that the vaccines are really part of the bigger solution to this pandemic,” he said.
A PHO report presented at the 2nd Quarter Joint Provincial Peace and Order Council – Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Council (PPOC-PADAC) meeting at the Capitol Social Hall in Bacolod City showed that there are 22,545 health care workers on the A1 vaccination list of Negros Occidental.
The PHO reported that 3,734 HCWs have been fully vaccinated with two doses representing 16.46 percent or less than one fifth of the A1 target, while 11, 109 received their first dose.
When they complete administering the second dose on the 11,109 they will reach 48 percent of the A1 target, which is still not enough, the governor said.
The vaccination started in mid-March and some delays were attributed to COVID-19 outbreaks in some local government units.
The PHO report also showed that as of May 11, Negros Occidental had a total of 13,289 COVID-19 cases, with 10,669 COVID-19 recoveries, 298 deaths and 2,352 active cases.
The average COVID-19 daily attack rate in Negros Occidental from April 28 to May 11 was 6.35 percent that under the Department of Health matrix is medium risk, the report also showed.
If the daily attack rate goes past 7 percent that would place the province in the high risk category.
DOH on Wednesday reported 126 new COVID-19 cases in Negros Occidental.*