Priority sectors in AgSur town support LGU’s vaccination program
By
Jennifer P. Gaitano
BUTUAN
CITY, Jun. 11 (PIA) -- With the ongoing conduct of coronavirus disease 2019
(COVID-19) vaccination, the eligible priority sectors/groups in the
municipality of Veruela in Agusan del Sur continued to show their support and
cooperation to the local government unit by availing of the free vaccines and
advocating it to their family members and relatives.
During
the Network Briefing News on Friday, Municipal Mayor Myrna Mondejar shared that
this week, the LGU has scheduled the vaccinations from Monday until Thursday.
”At first people were hesitant because of fake news about the vaccines but
after a constant information drive, they become optimistic that the vaccines
would help keep everyone safe from the spread of the virus,” she said.
“They
have this 'wait and see' behavior. They wanted to see for themselves what
happened to those who were vaccinated – whether they’re safe or experienced
several ill effects. But now that we had established the schedules for
vaccination, they show up willingly at the vaccination centers,” added
Mondejar.
The
lady mayor further revealed that for the A1 category, 134 have had their first
dose of AstraZeneca, of which 49 are already fully dosed. There were 126 senior
citizens vaccinated for their first dose; and some 90 individuals with
controlled comorbidities.
“Under
Sinovac, we have 371 with the first dose and the fully vaccinated under A1; for
the senior citizens, 125 had the first dose and 89 are fully vaccinated; for
A3, 104 had their first dose. All in all, we have 965 who have been vaccinated
here in Veruela. We also have started vaccinating the Indigenous Peoples – the
Manobo. They were initially hesitant because they were afraid, so what we did
was to vaccinate first the Indigenous Peoples Mandatory Representative (IPMR)
and tribal leaders to win their confidence,” underscored Mondejar.
Despite
the increasing number of COVID-19 in the municipality, Mayor Mondejar
emphasized that the LGU still manages the situation and intensifies the
advocacy campaign against the spread of the virus. The locals also follow the
guidelines under the Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine, not only within
the municipality but the whole of Agusan del Sur.
“As of now we have 25 active cases; 1 death, and 98 recoveries. Since the declaration of the Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ) because of the increasing cases, we have been conducting checkpoints to check and prohibit non-essential travels; we increased police visibility; implemented health protocols strictly like wearing of face mask, face shield, and social distancing, among others,” said Mondejar. (JPG/PIA-Agusan del Sur)
