ILOILO – So this province could shift to pandemic Alert Level 1 from the current Alert Level 2, it should endeavor to vaccinate against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) 32,000 more people to meet the 70 percent vaccination target of the province’s population.
“Our classification is still at Alert Level 2…although 15 local government units were placed under Alert Level 1 by the Inter-Agency Task Force,” said Dr. Maria Socorro Colmenares-Quiñon, head of the Iloilo Provincial Health Office (IPHO).
The province’s vaccination coverage is at 68 percent, “two percent pa ang kulang which is equivalent to 32,000-plus nga dapat mabakunahan,” said Quiñon.
The 15 towns under Alert Level 1 (April 1 to 15) are Anilao, Balasan, Banate, Barotac Nuevo, Barotac Viejo, Bingawan, Concepcion, Dueñas, Guimbal, Janiuay, Lemery, Mina, Pototan, San Dioniso, and Santa Barbara.
They met the parameters for de-escalation of alert levels:
* at least 70 percent of the target population have been fully vaccinated
* at least 70 percent of the target senior citizens population have been fully vaccinated
* the city or town must belong to a region or province with low-risk (less than 50 percent) total bed utilization rate./PN