NAGA CITY, April 24 (PIA)- The Department of Health Bicol-Center for Health Development (DOH Bicol CHD) reiterated its call to unvaccinated individuals to get vaccinated in light of new recorded COVID cases this month.

In a press statement, DOH Bicol CHD stated that “COVID-19 vaccines have been proven to prevent severe and critical cases of COVID-19. The public is also urged to get boosted as protection from primary doses of vaccines wanes over time. This will help strengthen an individual’s immunity against severe and critical cases of COVID-19.”

Relative to this, the Health Department also shared the alert level classifications of provinces in the Bicol region per the Inter-Agency Task Force for Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) Resolution No. 6-C.

In the said resolution, the provinces of Camarines Norte and Masbate were placed under Alert Level 2 while the provinces of Albay, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Sorsogon, and the City of Naga are under Alert Level 1.

The IATF has issued distinct alert level classifications for certain municipalities in the two provinces that are currently under Alert Level 2. The municipalities of Balud, Batuan, Mandaon, Milagros, San Fernando, and the City of Masbate in Masbate and municipalities of Basud, Capalonga, Daet, San Vicente, and Talisay in the province of Camarines Nort were all placed under Alert Level 1.

DOH also clarified that “the 26 provinces and cities under Alert Level 2 were not escalated from Alert Level 1; rather, these have maintained their Alert Level 2 status since June 2022. While these areas have reached low-risk classifications for cases and utilization rates, these have vaccination rates lower than 70% of the target total population and/or 70% of the total A2 population (senior citizens). Meeting these targets will allow these areas to be de-escalated to Alert Level 1. Also, no province or city has been escalated to Alert Level 2 from Alert Level 1 since January 2023.”

The placing of alert levels, according to the health department is to remind the public that they should have layers of protection against COVID-19, like getting the COVID jab.

The health advisory also emphasized that “the DOH continues to encourage those that are still unvaccinated, unboosted, or under-boosted to get the vaccines as soon as possible while it is still FREE of charge, especially for senior citizens. The DOH is continuously working with the local government units of the identified provinces and cities to increase their COVID-19 vaccination coverage.”

Different regions and provinces in the country were given alert level status following the confirmation of new COVID cases after the lengthened Lenten break during the first week of April.  (With report from DOH Bicol CHD/ PIA 5-Camarines Sur)