Bacolod City – As the COVID-19 active cases steadily go down in Negros Occidental, Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said that he will wait until June this year, before making any observation that the province is under a “new normal”.
While Negros Occidental recorded zero cases for two days, with active cases further dropping to 27, Lacson however said “let’s not sound that we’re over the hill.” There are predictions that by June, after results of the elections are out, there will be a spike in COVID-19 cases.
Lacson kept on reminding Negrenses to maintain minimum health protocols.
The provincial government is also pushing all local government units to go house-to-house vaccination,as mandated by President Rodrigo Duterte.
Lacson also called on all LGUs to step their vaccination programs. “If your neighboring LGU can do it, why can’t you,” he added.
There are five Negros Occidental LGUs placed under Alert Level 1 by the Inter Agency Task Force until April 15, while seven more have been recommended by the provincial government to be placed under similar alert level classification after they reach 70 percent of the targeted 80 percent vaccinated population in their respective areas.
Lacson said he is hoping that COVID-19 pandemic will soon become an endemic, where the virus can be treated.
The number of fully-vaccinated residents in Negros Occidental has now reached 1.2 million as of April 3, according to records of the Provincial Health Office.
NEAR EXPIRY VACCINES
Lacson said that the issue on near expiry vaccines should be addressed between the Department of Health and PHO.
He noted that the donated vaccines by the national government arrived and were distributed first, over those ordered by concerned LGUs from pharmaceutical companies.
Lacson proposed that near expiry vaccines should be administered as booster shots, especially in the National Capital Region, since most LGUs in those areas have reached 100 percent of their vaccination rates. (Gilbert Bayoran via The Visayan Daily Star (TVDS), photo courtesy of TVDS)
