The San Juan City local government was recognized by the Department of Health (DOH) for its COVID-19 information and enforcement campaigns as the country continues to fight the dreaded disease and its more transmissible Omicron and Delta variants.
San Juan, together with other cities and municipalities in the country who developed and launched exceptional anti-COVID-19 programs, were given the BIDA Solusyon sa COVID-19 award on Thursday, Feb. 24, during DOH's Healthy Pilipinas People's Choice Awards.
The DOH cited San Juan City's COVID-19 Vaccine Information Campaign to address the vaccine hesitancy of San Juaneños.
"San Juan City launched the ‘Ako Ay San Juaneño, Bakunado at Protektado’ Vaccine Information Dissemination Campaign through several strategies like Bisikleta Para sa Bakuna, Vaccine Incentive Program, online video and graphic postings, and on-ground, house-to-house campaign. With these strategies, San Juan City successfully became a model city to other cities in the Philippines with its vaccine drive," the DOH said.
"It was the first city to fully vaccinate 111.47% of its constituents, reached 202.65% (227,893 individuals) for the first dose, and 202.98% (217,533 individuals) for its second dose," it added.
The DOH also said that San Juan also ranked first among all the vaccination sites in the National Capital Region (NCR) on the first day of the launch of the 5-11 pediatric vaccination, as well as in the administration of COVID-19 booster shots.
It has also cited the San Juaneños strict observance of the minimum public health and safety protocols (MPHS) and the LGU's efforts in COVID-19 monitoring.
"San Juan City believes that half the battle is already won if we continue to follow MPHS, so it launched several strategies that will ensure that its constituents will follow them religiously," the DOH said.
"City ordinances, cash grants, partnering with private companies, and the right messaging were created to do this. Strict implementation of the law and the guidelines was also done with the help of the city’s Bike Patrollers. The LGU supplied the PNP San Juan with bicycles and body cameras so that police officers can monitor and implement important COVID-19 ordinances and guidelines," it explained.
The agency said that these steps helped in bringing the number of cases in San Juan to a minimum and allowed people to live and exist in the new normal.
As of Feb. 24, the city recorded 21 active COVID-19 cases. It also tallied 20,638 recoveries and 359 deaths.