BATANG MAYNILA
Manila Mayor Isko Moreno
I would like to congratulate and commend the parents and guardians of minors residing in Manila.
Apparently, they have heeded our repeated calls for them to have their children or wards vaccinated for the sake of everyone in their respective households.
Over 53,000 minors aged 12 to 17 have pre-registered with www.manilacovid19.ph and of the number, about 17,000 have been jabbed, as of this writing only.
The mass inoculation of the general population of minors, carried out a week after those with comorbidities have been taken care of, is being done simultaneously at the six city-run hospitals and in the four shopping malls designated as vaccination hubs, namely SM Manila, SM San Lazaro, Lucky Chinatown and Robinson’s Place in Ermita.
No less than Vice Mayor Honey Lacuna is in charge of the city’s mass vaccination program along with Manila Health Department chief Dr. Poks Pangan.
The hospitals are operating for the purpose of vaccinating the qualified minors from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. while in the malls, the jabs are administered from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
It is in this light that I continue calling on the public, specially Manilans, to observe the minimum health protocols like wearing of face masks, frequent hand washing and proper physical distancing.
While the numbers tend to show that the COVID cases in the city is becoming more manageable as days go by, the infection is still very much with us and in fact continue claiming lives, so we have to be on our toes still.
By the way, I would like to attribute the continuing decline in the number of COVID cases in the city to the efforts of the doctors, nurses and staff of the Manila Health Department under its head Dr. Arnold Pangan, including those from the allied services.
Also deserving of much credit is my hardworking partner Vice Mayor Honey Lacuna, who is in charge of the local government’s mass vaccination program and whose efforts, along with Dr. Pangan, has made the city succeed in its inoculation efforts.
Of course, special credit also goes to Manilans who have shown cooperation and solid support to the calls that I and Vice Mayor Honey have been repeatedly and consistently making for them to get vaccinated.
These past weeks, the total number of confirmed, active cases in the city of Manila has been on steady decline, registering below 500. In fact, just a couple of days ago, the number of individuals who tested positive was only 25. This is a first after such a long, difficult time.
This only goes to prove that our campaign, “Vaccine Nation is the Solution,” has become effective.
With restrictions now easing up, I was asked by the media in a recent interview if caroling will be allowed in Manila.
While I will not prohibit or ban it from happening, I am also not totally keen on encouraging it, since it could be a super spreader activity and usually involves youngsters who are considered high risk individuals in so far as getting infected with COVID-19 is concerned.
In this light, I am appealing to the parents to exercise responsibility voluntarily, by not allowing their kids to go caroling instead of the local government authorities having to impose a ban against it.
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Gaya ng paulit-ulit kong sinasabi, kailangan ko ang tulong ninyong lahat. Walang magmamalasakit sa Maynila kundi tayo ring mga Batang Maynila. Manila, God first!
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For updates on latest developments in the city of Manila, please visit my Facebook account--- ‘Isko Moreno Domagoso.’