Almost 6K Health Workers In CAR Get Jabs

March 15, 2021 JUST IN

BAGUIO CITY (March 14, 2021) — Almost 6,000 health workers in the highland Cordillera had already been inoculated with the anti-Covid19 vaccine.
The Department of Health-Cordillera Regional Vaccination Operation Center reported that as of March 13, 2021,  a total of 5,795 healthcare workers and personnel of the different hospitals and health facilities have been received the  CoronaVac (Sinovac) #COVID19 vaccine, while 618 more healthcare workers got vaccinated with the AstraZenca vaccine.
The highland region received 7,800 Sinovac doses which were deployed to the different provinces and cities in Cordillera, while deployment of AstraZeneca vaccines is still ongoing.
Baguio City and Benguet have already received an initial allocation of AstraZeneca.
The mayor said the outbreak at the business process outsourcing companies had been contained even as close monitoring of employees and engagements with the firms for the enhancement of health and safety measures are continuing.
Meanwhile,  Baguio City promised it is handling the spike in its Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases with its well-placed control systems.
Mayor Benjamin Magalong assured that the outbreak at the business process outsourcing companies had been contained, even as close monitoring of employees and engagements with the firms for the enhancement of health and safety measures are continuing.
He said a surge in cases among hospital workers had been observed and is also currently being addressed.
Magalonc said contact tracing and other preventive measures are also continuing for the city’s lone B117 or UK variant case to ensure that no further transmission occurred.
He did not discount the possibility of an outbreak on the new variant in the city with the easing up of border protocols and said measures will be adopted among which the possible return of the testing requirement for those coming to the city with the use of the antigen tests.
The Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Disease had allowed local government units to impose testing for entrants but limited it to Reverse Transcription- Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) tests.
The mayor agreed to temporarily lift the testing requirement in view of the prohibitive cost of the swab tests for both Baguio residents and tourists.
He said that if reinstituted, antigen tests will be made affordable to both residents and tourists from the previous P1,300 to just P350 per test.
He said testing remains to be a vital component of the city’s continuing fight against COVID and the city cannot forgo the testing requirement for residents and tourists for long especially with the threat of more transmissible variants lurking around.
City Health Officer Rowena Galpo reported that the number of active cases between March 1 and March 8 in the city had doubled from 256 to 543.
The two-week growth rate (TWGR) showed a growth change of 32 percent from 672 last Feb. 8-21 to 890 last Feb. 22 to March 7.
The average daily attack rate (ADAR) for Feb.22-March 7 also reached 10.1 percent or double the five percent threshold.
Meanwhile,  Baguio will be receiving from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) some P20 million for the construction of another health center to enhance the delivery of health care services.
City Administrator Bonifacio dela Peña stated that the local government has to identify the area where the health facility will be constructed as the funds are already available for downloading once all the prescribed requirements are ready.
He said that the area should be wide enough to be able to accommodate parking of vehicles of individuals who want to undergo consultations with health authorities once it will be operational.
Dr.  Galpo recommended that the proposed health center will be constructed in a 1,000-square meter city-owned property along Marcos Highway to replace the existing Atab Health Center which will be demolished because it will be affected by the ongoing road widening project of the public works department as the same is located within the road-right-of-way.
At present, the Atab district health center is located between the Mount Sto. Tomas Road and the Balacbac Road which serves the health needs of the residents living in the various barangays around it.
Earlier, a 535-square meter titled property was identified as site but the same seems to be distant from the other barangays that it intends to serve as it is located in Bakakeng Norte/Sur, thus, the city tried to locate for other available options.
Baguio has 16 district health centers that are strategically located in the various districts around the city to service the health requirements of residents living in the cluster of barangays.
City officials are expected to conduct an ocular inspection of the proposed site before the preparation of the plans and specifications of the type of structure that will be constructed.

Artemio Dumlao