Bacolod holding 2-day ‘grand vaccination drive’

The Bacolod City Emergency Operations Center (EOC), thru the COVID-19 Vaccination Council (CoVaC), will hold a “grand vaccination drive” for two days this week – on Sept. 27 and Oct. 1.

A total of 34 vaccination sites all over Bacolod will open simultaneously on these two days to hasten the administration of COVID-19 vaccines to all eligible yet unvaccinated residents of the city.

Mayor Evelio Leonardia, chair of the EOC-TF, has directed the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) and the Barangay Ambulance Service to be on “high alert” during the vaccination days.

He also ordered them to provide stations for easy access of emergency medical services.

In view of the grand vaccination, the mayor reiterated his call for Bacolod residents to get inoculated soonest and to help educate their families about COVID-19.

This, according to Leonardia, is their valuable contribution to the city government’s fight against COVID-19.

“You know how important vaccines are. Most of those in the hospitals today are the unvaccinated. Please help us educate and encourage others to get vaccinated, especially your family members,” Leonardia said in a previous statement.

From Sept. 1 to 24, a total of 112 COVID-19 patients in Bacolod died after manifesting severe symptoms. Of the number, 99 were unvaccinated, while the remaining 13 were either fully vaccinated or had received their first dose.

The EOC-TF continues to campaign for vaccination as many studies show that vaccines are “effective in preventing COVID-19 hospitalization and deaths.”

The intensified vaccination campaign in Bacolod is geared towards achieving herd immunity, reiterated City Administrator Em Ang, concurrent EOC-TF executive director and CoVaC coordinator.

Among the flexible methods and initiatives adopted by the city government, through the EOC-TF and CoVaC, include the VAX-i mobile vaccination drive which deploys five buses around the city for vaccination drive, onsite vaccination drive; graveyard/night-shift vaccination drive for BPOs (business process outsourcing) companies; barangays and clusters vaccination; mall-based vaccination at 888 Chinatown Square, Ayala Malls Capitol Central, CityMall Goldenfield, CityMall Mandalagan, Gaisano City,

Robinsons Place, and SM City; two drive-thru vaccination centers at Ayala Malls Capitol Central, and 24-hour vaccination at Jollibee Gatuslao and Jollibee East.

The vaccine rollout is being supervised by Ang, OIC-City Health Officer Dr. Edwin Miraflor Jr., EOC deputy medical Dr. Chris Sorongon, and EOC deputy medical and DRRMO head Dr. Ana Maria Laarni Pornan with the assistance of EOC-TF nurses, EOC-TF secretariat, vaccination doctors, and other healthcare workers from City Health Office (CHO).

Yesterday, Sept. 25, the Department of Health (DOH) Region 6 posted a bulletin showing that an additional 139 individuals tested positive of COVID-19 in Bacolod. Of them, only 42 recovered, or those who have completed their 14-day quarantine.
As of Sept. 25, a total of 445 Bacolod residents died due to COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic.* (Bacolod City PIO)