A total of 3,760 active tourism workers in Bohol are expected to be inoculated in the second wave of vaccinations against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), which the Department of Tourism (DOT) launched Wednesday, Aug. 11.
Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said this would bring the total number of inoculated tourism workers in the province to 9,920, or 76 percent of the 13,000 target beneficiaries.
Puyat made the announcement on Wednesday during her visit to Bohol with testing czar Secretary Vince Dizon for the second rollout of the department's vaccination efforts for tourism industry workers.
"Hopefully, today’s rollout will further boost the number of vaccinated tourism workers and help bring us closer to herd immunity which will put an end to this health crisis," Puyat said during a short program at Bellevue Resort Panglao.
"With everyone’s cooperation, we hope to see Bohol regain its popularity as a premier tourism destination, for both local and international travelers," she added.
The tourism chief also led the first vaccination rollout for 6,160 tourism frontliners in Bohol last June 18. These were primarily composed of those working from DOT-accredited establishments.
According to Puyat, the latest vaccine delivery were made up of 5,000 Sinovac and 2,520 Moderna doses covering both the first and second doses.
An additional 10,000 Pfizer and 5,000 Sinovac doses are also expected to arrive. These will help in achieving the target of 100 percent inoculation of tourism workers in the province.
Tourism workers are categorized as those who work in quarantine or isolation facilities and DOT-accredited hotels and resorts, tour guides, employees of travel agencies, tour operators, tourism transport, restaurants, and MICE-related (meeting, incentive, convention, and exhibition) businesses.
"With the arrival of more vaccines, the DOT looks forward to the vaccination of those employed in tourism support services as well, such as tricycle drivers, massage therapists, and porters among others," Puyat added.
Puyat noted that Bohol has a total of 402 DOT-accredited enterprises--from accommodation establishments (AEs) to health and wellness facilities--as of July 31. The data is a big 148.88 percent jump from only 132 accredited establishments during the same period last year.
"I urge all remaining eligible individuals to get yourselves vaccinated as soon as possible. Protect yourselves, the ones you love, and the communities you call home. Let’s do our part to bring back the fun to Bohol, and the rest of the Philippines," Puyat said.