BY GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Placing Negros Occidental under the General Community Quarantine status effective today until July 31 is not a guarantee that Covid cases will be brought down, Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said yesterday.
It really depends on the compliance of every individual, as far as minimum health standards are concerned, and vaccination, Lacson added.
Negros Occidental received yesterday its biggest allocation, so far, of 34,800 doses of Sinovac vaccine, and 7,800 for the highly-urbanized Bacolod City.
Lacson said that the downloading of the newly-arrived vaccines to local government units that are ready to roll out the jabs to residents in priority categories will start today, while the provincial government will continue to administer Pfizer vaccines until tomorrow.
He called on those who are included in the priority list not to refuse the vaccination. “Take the vaccine during your schedule and consider it a blessing that you will be vaccinated,” Lacson said.
If there are no-shows, there are provincial government employees, who will take their place and receive the jab, he also said, stressing that the Pfizer vaccine vial is very sensitive and should be consumed immediately once this is taken out from the ultra-low freezer.
Each Pfizer vial is equivalent to six doses. Lacson said he is thankful for the regular arrival of vaccines in Negros Occidental, noting the shipment of 34,800 doses of Sinovac vaccine that the province received at one time, since the inoculation focus is now in Western Visayas, because of the surge in cases.*
