Pasay City Mayor Emi Calixto-Rubiano assured the public that the city government has mobilized all its health workers and law enforcers to stop the spread of the South African variant of COVID-19 following reports that at least three city residents have contracted the new strain.
Rubiano said that as part of the city's intensified containment campaign, the city has deployed 26 additional nurses to isolation facilities at the Mall of Asia, Folk Arts Theater, and Pasay Sports Complex as well as the quarantine areas being operated by Oplan Kalinga.
She also said the city government deployed an additional 180 policemen to strictly enforce the Inter Agency Task Force (IATF) health protocols.
The city government also enhanced its contact tracing up to the third level of contacts of those who contracted the virus.
Rubiano said all those that were confirmed to have contacts with the patients were required to undergo RT-PCR tests.
She also said the city government hired 100 contact tracers.
Rubiano said the city government is grateful to the national government for taking cognizance of its situation and for giving the city with Sinovac vaccines which are now being used in inoculating its frontline health workers.
“Nagpapasalamat po tayo sa Pangulong Duterte at sa mga opisyal ng national government dahil binigyan nila tayo ng prayoridad sa magagamit na bakuna para sa ating mga health workers. Malaking bagay po ang mga bakunang ito para sa tagumpay natin laban sa virus,” (I am very thankful to President Durerte and other government officials for giving us priority in the distribution of vaccines that are now being used to inoculate our health workers) Rubiano said.
She also thanked the 100 medical workers who volunteered to be vaccinated with the Sinovac vaccines on Tuesday (March 2).
Rubiano said she is willing to be vaccinated anytime with any brand of vaccine. But because she just recovered from the disease, her doctors had advised her that she can only get vaccinated after 90 days.(Jean Fernando)