MALAYBALAY CITY (PIA)—The local government of San Fernando in Bukidnon province is doing everything it can to keep the highly contagious COVID-19 Delta variant from entering the town, Mayor Levi Edma said Monday.
During the Network Briefing News interview with Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Martin Andanar, Edma said they have augmented their border checkpoints.
He said the town has imposed tougher measures to ensure that the Delta strain—said to be more aggressive and can severely infect those who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19, particularly the elderly and people with chronic disease—could not get in.
"It's like the virus finds the unvaccinated. We intensified our contact-tracing efforts, strictly enforced local rules and ordinances, and imposed granular lockdown. All of this is being done to prevent the entry of the Delta variant, which is already spreading in the surrounding areas,” Edma explained.
He further said that the local government strictly enforces ‘minimum health protocols' in all private and public establishments and rigidly adheres to the PDITR (Prevent, Detect, Isolate, Treat, and Reintegrate) approach in battling coronavirus.
The latest report from the Department of Health (DOH) showed that San Fernando has 138 confirmed cases since COVID hit the town last year, of which, 10 are active; eight were recorded dead, and 120 are already recovering.
Request for additional vaccines
The mayor went on to say that though the town’s COVID record indicates a downward trend, he seeks DOH’s help for additional vaccines to hit its ‘herd immunity’ target.
In response, DOH-10 Regional Director Jose Llacuna Jr. said coordination is the key because San Fernando has high vaccination turnout.
"San Fernando's listed A1 is 327, which yielded 81% for the 1st dose and 79% for the 2nd dose. Also, the town's masterlist for A2 showed 2,300 with 73% accomplishment for 1st dose and 70% for 2nd dose—which is very good. For A3, we will recompute your target of 4,260 as you barely have 42% output for the 1st dose. In the face of limited vaccines, prioritization is the rule. Currently, we have noted a decrease of COVID cases in San Fernando," Dr. Llacuna said.
Meanwhile, the mayor said that they continued giving cash aid to those most affected by the pandemic.
“From the time of the lockdown last year till today, we have offered financial help to those who have been affected. We provide food and other basic needs. Aside from the DSWD's Social Amelioration Program and the provincial government's cash aid, we also have P15,000 livelihood grant for each beneficiary, Edma said. (BGE/PIA-Bukidnon)
