CEBU CITY, Cebu, July 6 (PIA) -- San Remigio Mayor Mariano Martinez announced on July 5 that 100% of their healthcare workers in their town have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
During the Network Briefing News interview hosted by Presidential Communications Operations Office Sec. Martin Andanar, Martinez said the A1 priority group composed of 743 workers in the frontline health services have been inoculated.
However, he said there is a low turnout of vaccines on the A2 priority group which is composed of senior citizens with only 11% or 12%.
For A3 or persons with comorbidities, the mayor said they have already vaccinated up to 34%.
"We have not started with our A4 or essential workers because we're still concentrating on the A1 to A3," said Martinez.
The prioritization framework for COVID-19 vaccination is based on the World Health Organization Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization which was formulated due to the limited global supply of COVID-19 vaccines.
With the guidance of this principle, the Philippine National Deployment and Vaccination Plan formulated strategies and contingencies to ensure the equitable distribution of vaccine products for all Filipinos.
Martinez said there are many people now who want to get vaccinated in their municipality, however, "our problem is the amount of vaccines available, hopefully this will increase."
The mayor shared that he has already been fully vaccinated and urged his constituents to join him in order to reach herd immunity; for their city to return to normal and get back their economy.
Martinez said, "I'm fully vaccinated. I had very little to no side effects, maybe because I'm over 60 years old already. When I go around, I always make it a point to mention that people should get vaccinated".
"I'm really encouraging everyone, especially our senior citizens but I'm not really too concerned because these people are not really going around, they're staying home most of the time but it would be good to have them vaccinated so we can move on to our essential workers," he added.
Martinez said their municipality has been strengthening the information and education campaign on vaccination and has coordinated with the Philippine Information Agency 7, Department of Health 7, and the Department of Interior and Local Government in having recently conducted the Resbakuna Town Hall to ensure correct information about the COVID-19 vaccines is given as well as to boost the confidence and uptake of the said vaccines.
Meanwhile, the mayor shared that as of July, San Remigio recorded a total of 162 cases of persons who contracted COVID-19 with four active cases, 154 recoveries, four deaths, and three persons currently in their temporary treatment isolation facility.
"We have an accredited isolation facility by the DOH and PhilHealth and for now, COVID is under control," the mayor siad.
He added that requiring people to use face masks, practice social distancing, and avoid fiestas and mass gatherings have been effective in preventing the spread of the virus. (RMN/PIA7/Ileana D. Cortes)
