3 malls offer spaces for COVID-19 vaccination

CEBU, Philippines — Three malls in Cebu City have offered their spaces for the city government to use as COVID-19 vaccination sites, said City Administrator Floro Casas, Jr.

Casas, vice chairman of the city’s Vaccine Board, said they are already communicating with the respective mall owners, but nothing is final yet.

The locations of the three malls are in the north and south.

Casas added the Vaccination Operations Center, which is already operational, is also considering churches, gyms, and schools as vaccination sites.

He said the city government is considering these locations for the public to have a convenient area during the activity.

"Para convenient pud sa mga magpa-vaccinate kay after man gud sa vaccination, mo-stay man gud ka for a while para obserbahan ka sa effect sa vaccine sa imong lawas," said Casas.

"So, dapat comfortable pud sila. That’s why naningkamot ang Cebu City government makapangita og comfortable nga lugar," he added.

City Health Department (CHD) officer-in-charge Jeffrey Ibones said malls are strategic areas for the vaccination considering that they have big spaces, which could cater to the different processes that would happen during the inoculation such as orientation, registration, screening, and monitoring of individuals.

Ibones, chairman of the Vaccine Board, said these areas will still be checked.

With regard to the vaccinators, he said the city government has at least 100 vaccinators who are under the CHD.

“Ang CHD naa gyud ta’y vaccinators. Naa man ta’y regular nga vaccination gyud sa atong mga health centers. Mga nurses nato, midwife nato nga trained daan mo-vaccinate,” said Ibones.

Ibones added that the city will also accept volunteers to help in the vaccination program. — KQD (FREEMAN)