More local government units (LGUs) are now accommodating walk-in coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) vaccine applicants, particularly those under the A2 (indigent senior citizens), A3 (adults with comorbidities) and A4 (essential frontline personnel) categories, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo Año said Sunday, Nov. 14.
The national government hopes to vaccinate between 1 to 1.5 million individuals daily in a bid to ramp up the country’s COVID-19 immunization program and to achieve the target herd immunity this year.
Earlier, President Duterte warned that the local chief executives (LCE) whose localities are performing underwhelmingly in the COVID-19 vaccination program will be penalized.
With the targeted herd immunity against the virus, Año noted that the government has scheduled the “National Vaccination Days’’ on Nov. 29, 30 and Dec. 1.
Skeptics feared that the “National Vaccination Days’’ will attract huge crowds in the vaccination sites where health protocols will most likely be violated that may result to COVID-19 surge.
However, Año in an interview over GMA News assured that full preparations in coordination with their respective uniformed personnel were made by the concerned municipalities and provinces to address these issues.
He noted that the preparations include establishing additional vaccination sites, hiring more vaccinators and vehicles to pick-up who will be vaccinated and deliver the vaccines and first and foremost is ensuring the readiness of the vaccination sites.
The DILG chief also stressed that physical distancing should be strictly observed citing its importance to not make it a super spreader event.
Last week Año met with the mayors, governors and chiefs of the uniformed service where it was agreed that their full resources will be on hand to ensure law and order pertaining to the implementation of the health protocols.
He noted that the local chief executives (LCE) are conducting coordination meetings with the DILG regional offices, Department of Health (DOH regional directors, local PNP officials and other concerned parties to establish a lawful implementation of the three-day “National Vaccination Days.’’
“Yung isang araw (National Vaccination Days) ay papatak na Lunes ano kaya nirerekomenda din namin na maging holiday na rin ito para makapagfocus na ang lahat sa pagbabakuna at mga tao na babakunahan ay wala silang trabaho (One day will fall on a Monday that is why we are recommending that this be declared a holiday to allow everybody to focus on the vaccination and those going to be vaccinated will have no work),’’ Año said. (Chito A. Chavez)