The Emergency Operations Center-Task Force (EOC-TF) has an urgent message to Bacolodnons: Go get the anti-COVID-19 vaccine now!
City Administrator Em Legaspi-Ang, concurrent EOC executive director and COVID-19 Vaccination Council (CoVaC) coordinator, sounded the alarm bells yesterday, as the rate of infections for the month continues to rise.
Comparative EOC data presented by the EOC as of this writing are also doubly alarming after Ang pointed out that the current figure on COVID deaths stands at 122 against the past year level of only 76 at the end of September 30, 2020.
“Our number of deaths as of September 28 this year almost doubled and we are averaging 109 infections daily. Our health frontliners are pointing out that those experiencing severe COVID cases in hospitals are those who remain unvaccinated,” she said.
Ang said that the recent, sudden spike in COVID-19 cases has put the focus back on prevention. She stressed that a major worry right now is Delta, a highly contagious SARS-CoV-2 virus strain.
This continued rise in cases is happening despite their round-the-clock efforts to give COVID jabs. The highest spread of cases and severe outcomes is happening in places with low vaccination rates, and virtually all hospitalizations and deaths have been among the unvaccinated, according to CHO OIC Dr. Edwin Miraflor Jr.
EOC Deputy for Medical Dr. Chris Sorongon said Bacolodnons are assured of higher chances of surviving the pandemic.
Ang recalled that a 73-year old fully vaccinated patient stricken with COVID survived the virus while her 35- and 39-year-old unvaccinated sons, who apparently looked healthier at the outset, succumbed to the disease.
“We, in the city government and EOC, therefore, are reiterating this appeal: Go get the vaccine now,” Mayor Evelio Leonardia stressed.
SERIOUS COVID INFECTION RATE
To illustrate the seriousness of the situation, Dr. Rosalie Deocampo, EOC deputy for contact-tracing cluster, said that on September 25, Bacolod had 140 infections, 90 of which were household transmissions, while 36 cases were of unknown origin.
Of the same total, she said, 75 were classified as new cases, while 65 were close contacts.
Six were infected at their workplace, seven from gatherings or meetings outside of their household and one a prison infection.
The following day, September 26, the city had 133 cases; 69 of which were new infections and 64 were close contacts, Deocampo said.
Of the 133, some 92 cases were household infections, 41 were outside transmissions, three from the workplace, 36 were not known and two from hospital infections.
Last Monday, Deocampo disclosed that there were 151 cases, of which 60 were new cases, while 91 were close contacts.
“COVID spreads right in our own homes,” Deocampo said, pointing out that on September 27, about 110 were household transmissions, 41 originated from outside, 27 were not known, two from workplace, three from gatherings or meetings, four from hospitals, one from a dialysis center and three from prison.
FACE-TO-FACE CLASSES, HIGH VACCINE HESITANCY
Another area of concern raised by Ang is the upcoming face-to-face classes for the school year.
The EOC and the Bacolod CoVaC, in coordination with the Department of Education’s City Schools Division headed by Gladys Amelaine Sales, made an effort to give jabs to over 700 unvaccinated teachers two Saturdays ago.
To EOC and CoVaC’s dismay, Ang continued, only 45 showed up for inoculation.
“Our concern now are the schoolchildren who are unprotected as we cannot yet administer COVID jabs for them,” Ang said.
She also lamented that many residents have become vulnerable to “fake news” that they read on various social media platforms like the FB post that says that those who got the vaccine will become zombies.
Ang reminded Bacolodnons that like everything in life, this is an ongoing risk assessment. If it is raining and you’ll be outdoors, you bring an umbrella. If you are in a crowded gathering, potentially with unvaccinated people, you put your mask on and keep social distancing. If you are unvaccinated and eligible for the vaccine, the best thing you can do is to get vaccinated.
Recent studies show that people who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 continue to have strong protection compared to those who aren’t.
These false claims and fake news, add up to people’s hesitancy to get the vaccine, she added.*
