BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL G. BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – The number of fully-vaccinated residents in Negros Occidental has now reached 1.2 million, latest data from the provincial government showed.
Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said the number is equivalent to 60.46 percent, still far from the 80 percent or 1.825 million target population.
Another 107,531 Negrenses are currently waiting for their second dose.
Diaz said the Provincial Health Office (PHO), in cooperation with the Department of Health (DOH), are currently working on finding a way to step up vaccination efforts and to have all vaccines stored in the province’s cold storage facility be used on schedule.
Previously, the PHO released a report that 221,049 doses of different brands of COVID-19 vaccines are close to expiring.
Diaz also hopes that the recent downgrading of several local government units in Negros Occidental to Alert Level 1 or the “new normal” status would further entice other LGUs to double their efforts in their vaccination program against coronavirus disease 2019.
He further revealed that on Monday, April 4, the provincial government received 125,000 doses of Pfizer Orange Cap vaccines which would be used for children aged 5 to 11 years old.
At present, Negros Occidental is under COVID-19 Alert Level 2. However, the following have been classified as under Alert Level 1 due to low cases: the towns of EB Magalona (Saravia), Pulupandan and San Enrique and the component cities of La Carlota and Sagay.
Bacolod City is also under Alert Level 1./PN
