MALASIQUI, Pangasinan – Some 12,940 individuals belonging to the A4 priority group or essential workers in the Ilocos Region have received the first dose of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccines as of July 25.
In an interview on Monday, Department of Health Center for Health Development regional office (DOH-CHD 1) Covid-19 focal person Dr. Rheuel Bobis said these individuals were from the 54 localities in the region that have been permitted to start inoculation of their A4 priority group.
Of the total number, 607 have been fully vaccinated, Bobis said.
“There is a memorandum or advisory from the National Vaccination Center that only localities that are high-risk will begin vaccination of A4 priority group to be determined by the Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (RESU),” he said.
According to Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases Resolution No. 117, the A4 priority group comprises private-sector workers who need to be physically present in their workplace; employees in government agencies and instrumentalities, including government-owned or controlled corporations and local government units; informal sector workers; and self-employed individuals who work outside their homes and those working in private households.
Meanwhile, the DOH-CHD-1 urged residents anew in the region to get inoculated and continue to practice standard health protocols as the one Delta variant case was recorded in the region.
Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Marcos Manotoc confirmed on his official Facebook page on Sunday that the province has one Delta variant case.
“The Delta variant is highly transmissible as compared to the other variants and there was a research that it has the potential to inflict rare disease. But the vaccine and the standard health protocols are still the best defense against any variant of the Covid-19,” Bobis said.
As of July 25, there are 337,660 individuals in the Ilocos Region have received the first dose of vaccine against Covid-19 while 151,412 have already been fully vaccinated. (PNA)
