(Photo courtesy of Iloilo Provincial Health Office Facebook page)
ILOILO CITY – The provincial government is ready with PHP6.750 million fund as an incentive for target recipients of its coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccination program to increase the number of persons who get the life-saving shot.
Iloilo Provincial Health Officer II Dr. Maria Socorro Quiñon said the incentive of PHP1,000 each will be for 6,750 senior citizens, persons with disabilities (PWDs) and indigent residents.
“We are waiting for the go-signal and we can start this week to cope with the target de-escalation before the month-end,” she said in an interview on Monday, referring to the alert level classification.
To date, Iloilo City and four other areas in Western Visayas -- Aklan, Bacolod City and Capiz -- are under Alert Level 1. Iloilo province is under Alert Level 2.
Governor Arthur Defensor is eyeing another incentive for 100,000 individuals to achieve a higher coverage rate as he wanted Ilonggos to be safe and protected from the Covid-19, Quiñon said.
As of Monday, Quiñon said 1,239, 319 or 74.19 percent of the eligible population in the province have availed of their first dose, 1,132, 632 or 67.78 percent are completely vaccinated and 172,638 or 10.33 percent received their booster dose.
To reach 70 percent coverage for fully vaccinated people, she said the province has to vaccinate 37,062 individuals.
“We could achieve this if those who have their first dose will already get their second dose,” she added.
Data show that over 100,000 of those who submitted to their first dose have yet to get a second dose.
Quiñon said local government units (LGUs) have been mobilizing teams to reach the target population.
Their personnel and provincial hired vaccinators conduct house-to-house campaigns and go to places of convergence just to reach the quota within this month.
However, there are LGUs that amid their high accomplishment still could not reach the 70 percent target because their population is just too large.
Among those LGUs that have achieved the 70 percent accomplishment rate are Zarraga, Balasan, Lemery, Bingawan, Batad, Barotac Viejo, Concepcion, Banate, Guimbal, Mina, Barotac Nuevo, Dueñas, Sta. Barbara, Pototan, Anilao, San Dionisoin, and Janiuay.
The town of San Rafael is short of 70 vaccinees to be able to reach their target.
Quiñon said the province’s average daily attack rate, two-week growth rate, and health care utilization rate (HCUR)are low and could qualify for de-escalation except for the vaccination accomplishment, which is still short of the required percentage. (PNA)
The province recorded a -20 growth in cases in the last two weeks as against the previous three to four weeks, 1.03 ADAR and 31.40 percent HCUR. (PNA)
