CEBU CITY – Acting Mayor Michael Rama on Wednesday expressed optimism the capital city can achieve its desired 75-percent population protection through mass vaccination.
Rama said although the allocated vaccine doses for the city have already been consumed, the city government is expecting the arrival of more supplies from the national government.
“Today (Wednesday), we put on hold the vaccination rollout in the absence of vaccines. We practically consumed the vaccine doses that we have so therefore ang amo gihuwat ang (what we are doing now is to wait for the) arrival sa bakuna (of the vaccines) which we are assured that it will be sufficient,” he said in a radio interview.
This, as the Department of Health (DOH)-Central Visayas medical officer Dr. Van Philip Baton announced the arrival Wednesday of 20,800 doses of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccine doses produced by Sinovac Biotech.
“These will be allocated for Metro Cebu. We have delivered initially 5,000 doses to Cebu City and 4,000 doses to Talisay City,” Baton said in a message to the media.
These vaccine doses will be used for the A4 priority group, the essential workers in both the private and public sectors.
Meanwhile, Rama urged city residents “not to challenge” authorities in violating health protocols set forth by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) and the DOH, saying coronavirus is still very much active despite the mass inoculation aimed to reach the 75-percent population protection.
His remarks came after the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) on Tuesday complained against establishments, particularly bars operating during the night, that are found to have been violating the protocols on physical distancing and capacity allowed per venue.
CCPO operatives last Sunday launched “Oplan Bulabog” in a high-end bar in Barangay Luz and collared 122 health protocols.
The police conducted the operation acting upon the report of a netizen
Source: Philippines News Agency
