DAVAO CITY – A total of 24 health workers assigned at the People’s Park Vaccination Site have tested positive for coronavirus disease (COVID-19), prompting the local government to shut down the park for a three-day decontamination starting Friday until Sunday.
Dr. Michelle Schlosser, spokesperson for the Davao City COVID-19 Task Force, said, during her program “Bika Bakunado” aired live over Davao City Disaster Radio (87.5), that operations at the park, considered as one of the biggest vaccination sites here, will resume on Monday.
She assured the public that personnel who will be assigned there are cleared of COVID-19 and do not manifest symptoms of the infection to ensure the safety of the vaccinees.
The park, a one-stop hub that has a drive-thru vaccination for senior citizens and designated areas for walk-ins and pediatrics, can cater up to 3,000 individuals daily.
“It saddens us that we have to close it starting today but we have to prioritize cleaning it up to make sure that it’s not dangerous for the people. Rest assured, after decontamination, health care workers to be deployed there are RT PCR (reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction)-negative,” she said.
The City Government of Davao reported that as of January 18, there are 1,276,123 individuals vaccinated with the first dose, 1,216,990 fully vaccinated, and 136,526 boosted.
According to the city government website, the city has 25 operational vaccination sites as of January 15.
The Department of Health (DOH)-Davao reported 1,540 new cases on Friday, bringing the total cases to 60,540 with 1,540 active, 52,820 recovered, and 1,814 dead.
The agency also confirmed five Omicron cases in Davao Region. Out of five, three are returning overseas Filipinos and two local cases.
In a press release issued by the City Government of Davao, Schlosser said they are targeting to administer 24,000 to 27,000 booster shots daily amid the threat of COVID-19.