CDO, Iloilo seek more COVID-19 vaccines

MANILA, Philippines — The mayors of Cagayan de Oro and Iloilo cities, where a surge in COVID-19 cases has been recently recorded, have appealed for the delivery of more vaccines in their area.

Cagayan de Oro Mayor Oscar Moreno said they need a regular supply of 5,000 doses a day to achieve herd immunity at the soonest possible time.

Moreno lamented that they are getting vaccines in trickles, with deliveries ranging only from 300 to 400 doses.

“We are experiencing a continuous rise and ito yung nangyayari kapag may surge sa NCR (National Capital Region),” he said in a interview
with “The Chiefs” on One News/TV5 on Thursday night.

Moreno said he had informed vaccine czar Carlito Galvez about the situation in their city.

Meanwhile, Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas scored experts for “playing God” with their proposal to allocate 90 percent of COVID-19 vaccines
for Metro Manila.

“If you are going to play God and you decide that, people outside the NCR will start dying because of lack of vaccines. I will never forget this until I die,” Treñas said.

The OCTA Research Group recommended the allocation of 90 percent of COVID-19 vaccines to the NCR, epicenter of the pandemic, saying it is the most efficient way to end the public health crisis.

However, Treñas said OCTA seems to project that Metro Manila residents have no relatives in other regions.

He blamed the surge in COVID-19 cases in the entire Panay island to lack of border control.

Meanwhile, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio urged residents to observe minimum health protocols amid a rise in infection. She gave assurance that more vaccination sites would be opened.

OCTA said the cities of Iloilo, Cagayan de Oro and Davao recorded a ”significant” increase in COVID-19 cases in the past week.

As this developed, the National Task Force on COVID-19 deployed a team in Zamboanga City yesterday, where a spike in cases was also recorded.

Testing czar Vince Dizon committed to increase the allocation of vaccines in the city, which has been identified as a critical area of concern.

Dizon said the number of COVID-19 cases in the city is declining, but stressed the need to intensify efforts to prevent the spread of the virus.

There were 2,304 active cases in Zamboanga as of Wednesday.

Contact tracing czar and Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong said contact tracing efforts should be intensified.

“Embrace any digital application that can help in contact tracing,” Magalong said.  – Roel Pareño, Edith Regalado