BY GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The provincial government of Negros Occidental is sending two vaccination teams to cities of Kabankalan and Bago to augment their vaccination efforts during the two-day National Vaccination Days, which run from today until February 11.
Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz yesterday said that they are targeting to vaccinate 1,000 individuals each in those areas which registered low turnouts in the number of vaccinees.
As an appreciation of the provincial government to those who will participate in the vaccination campaign, Diaz said that they will give two kilos of rice to each of the persons being inoculated.
Negros Occidental is eyeing to retain its spot as the top performing province in Western Visayas in the third round of the simultaneous national vaccination rollout on February 10 and 11.
Diaz said that they will also conduct vaccination activities in five cluster areas of Cauayan town,as Gov. Lacson will lead the distribution of housing materials, food packs and 5,000 banana seedlings to more than 3,979 typhoon-affected residents.
Negros Occidental logged a 60 percent vaccination performance as of Feb. 8, with more than 1.2 million Negrenses already vaccinated.
The Provincial Health Office and the 31 city and municipal health offices are running against time to vaccinate the remaining 40 percent, which is equivalent to almost 800,000 individuals.
In order to achieve population protection against COVID-19, the number was raised by the Department of Health from 70 to 80 percent of the targeted population, equivalent to an additional two million Negrenses.
Lacson admitted that they may not reach the two million mark since there is still a portion of population that rejected vaccination.*
