Negros Oriental vaccine tally: 3,444 health workers

DUMAGUETE CITY— At least 3,444 health care workers in Negros Oriental have already been injected with coronavirus vaccines from two manufacturers—China’s Sinovac and UK’s AstraZeneca.

According to Dr. Maria Sarah Talla, city health officer, the city government was planning to inject vaccines into at least 100,000 residents.

Of these, some 23,000 were senior citizens who were expected to get injected in the second quarter of 2021.

As of Wednesday (March 24), vaccines are being distributed to health workers from city and municipal health offices, rural health units and community hospitals.

At least 90 out of 150 health workers from the Dumaguete City health office had been injected on the first day of the vaccine rollout last Monday (March 22).

As of Tuesday, Negros Oriental has 56 active cases and 26 recoveries.

Dr. Liland Estacion, provincial Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) ground commander, said the recoveries were recorded in Dumaguete City, Bayawan City, Guihulngan City, Tanjay City and the towns of Bacong, Jimalalud, Sta. Catalina and Sibulan.

Of the new infections, two were from Dumaguete City and two were from La Libertad.

Data from the Provincial Health Office showed that from being a COVID-19 epicenter in Negros Oriental last January with more than a hundred cases, Dumaguete City’s active cases are down to 11.

The province recently relaxed travel protocols allowing local travellers to freely enter without any documents or proof of negative test results prior to travel.

Dumaguete City, however, still requires travellers to show proof of negative test results to get a certificate of acceptance from the city government.

TSB