DAVAO CITY – Davao Oriental's capital, Mati City, has been bestowed with the “Best Last Mile Implementation” award by the Department of Health in Davao Region (DOH-11) for reaching 101.6 percent of its target population in the coronavirus diseases 2019 (Covid-19) vaccination.
In an interview Monday, Mati City information officer Ben Jason Tesiorna, said at least 108,104 have been fully vaccinated out of the area's target population of 106,380.
“It is because there is no let-up in our vaccination campaign. From Mondays to Saturdays we go to the barangays to puroks, sitios, and residences,” Tesiorna said about the success of their vaccination campaign.
In a separate interview, Mayor Michelle Rabat said Mati is "doing good" as far as Covid-19 is concerned.
“I was informed and congratulated because we are number one in the region as far as meeting the target set by the Inter-agency Task Force and DOH as to the Covid vaccination,” she said.
Despite the success of the local government's vaccination campaign, Rabat said they will continue to enforce health protocols especially in wearing face masks.
“The Covid-19 is still around, that is why we are not complacent about it, and we continue enforcing the health protocols and request everybody to wear their mask adjusting to the new Executive Order (EO) of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.,” she said.
On Sept. 22, Rabat issued an executive order operationalizing the decision of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to make the use of face masks voluntary in open spaces.
The local EO, however, quantified and qualified the definition of "crowd" and "non-crowd". It defined a non-crowd as a group of three or fewer persons while a crowd is a group of five or more persons.
Wearing of face masks remains mandatory in indoor spaces, public utility vehicles, and other crowded areas.
“We have to remember that Mati is a tourist destination and people come here to explore our three beautiful bays and beaches. So there is a need to emphasize the wearing of face masks,” Rabat said. (PNA)
