JABBED. A boy in San Carlos City, Negros Occidental gets vaccinated against Covid-19 on the last week of February. This week, the province is set to receive an additional 25,000 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech jabs for children aged 5 to 11, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz II said on Monday (March 7, 2022). (Photo courtesy of NegOcc-San Carlos City Information Office)
BACOLOD CITY – The Negros Occidental provincial government will receive an additional 25,000 doses of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccines for children aged 5 to 11 this week.
Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz II said on Monday that Presidential Adviser for Covid-19 Response Vivencio Dizon confirmed the dispatch of more Pfizer-BioNTech jabs for minors in the province.
“What’s important is our vaccine supply. Secretary Dizon has also ensured the province will receive about 25,000 doses for minors. It is expected (to arrive) today (Monday) or tomorrow (Tuesday),” he told reporters.
Diaz said the Provincial Health Office and Hospital Operations Division are thankful for the development that will enable the province to continue vaccination programs for minors.
As of Monday, some 18,337 Negrense children aged 5 to 11 have availed at least one dose of Covid-19 jabs, data released by the Department of Health-Western Visayas (DOH-6) on Monday showed.
Diaz, also the action officer of the provincial Inter-Agency Task Force, welcomed the continued decrease of Covid-19 cases in the province.
“We are happy about the efforts of all Negrenses in jointly fighting Covid-19. After a long, long time of sacrifice we’re almost there, hopefully, the pandemic will turn into endemic,” he said.
Diaz said Negros Occidental has only more than 100 active Covid-19 cases, and on Sunday, only five out of the 31 local government units recorded one new case each.
“That’s a good sign, we’re on our way to the new normal,” he added.
Diaz said that while Negros Occidental is still under Alert Level 2 until March 15, the provincial government is preparing its workforce to fully render services once the province transitions to Alert Level 1, which is the lowest category in the country’s Covid-19 alert level system.
“The governor (Eugenio Jose Lacson) has already declared he is also looking forward to an Alert Level 1,” he said.
This capital city, where the Provincial Capitol is situated, has already been placed under Alert Level 1 from March 1 to 15. (PNA)
