BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – The city government of Cadiz in Negros Occidental has made mandatory the vaccination of its employees against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the first local government unit (LGU) in the province to order so.
Mayor Salvador Escalante Jr. yesterday issued Memorandum Order No. SGE-059-2021, requiring all employees and consultants to pass their COVID-19 vaccination cards or certificates to their respective department heads or supervisors before Nov. 29.
Starting Dec. 1, Escalante said all unvaccinated employees would be required to submit negative results of their reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests or rapid antigen tests every week at their own expense.
Any employee who fails to submit their RT-PCR or rapid antigen tests would be marked as absent, according to Escalante.
Meanwhile, consultants who fail to submit will not be able to receive their honoraria.
The order also covers all officials and employees of national government agencies operating in Cadiz City.
They, too, must submit their vaccination cars or certificates before Nov. 29, otherwise they will not be allowed to enter the premises of the city hall or other local government buildings.
Meanwhile, Mayor Nicholas Yulo of Bago City also issued a memorandum yesterday “strongly encouraging” all officials and employees of the city government to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, through Resolution No. 148-B, requires vaccination of employees reporting on-site in both public and private sectors in areas where there are sufficient vaccine supplies./PN
