MANILA, Philippines — Quezon City is eyeing to vaccinate 1.6 million residents against Covid-19 in six to eight months once the vaccine doses become available.
“We can inoculate 1,600,000 people in 6 to 8 months. Ideally, that is the target. We will do our very best but definitely, we can do that once the vaccine arrives,”Joseph Juico, co- chair of the city’s Covid-19 Task Force, said in a press conference.
“We will make sure that Quezon City will be ready to take on the challenge,” he added.
Juico said they are targeting to open the 24 vaccine sites for eight hours a day.
Mary Altaffer/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo
In the same press briefing, Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte said the vaccination sites were already approved by the Department of Health (DOH).
“We have secured 24 vaccination sites. At the moment, these sites were approved by DOH. And these are the ones with sure staff and personnel available,” Belmonte said, partly in Filipino.
The religious sector and academic institutions have also “expressed commitment to help the city government” in their vaccination plan, Belmonte added.
“Having said that, the church has already offered all of their parishes. Big universities like Ateneo De Manila University, perhaps Siena College and etcetera, have expressed commitment to help the city government,” she said.
As of Jan. 27, Quezon City has logged 30,009 Covid-19 cases with 1,184 active cases, 28,023 recoveries and 802 fatalities.
READ: Quezon City bares initial list of COVID-19 vaccination sites