Belmonte: Over 100,000 people get first dose of COVID-19 shot in Quezon City
MANILA, Philippines – More than 100,000 individuals in Quezon City have already been vaccinated against COVID-19, Mayor Joy Belmonte said Friday.
As of April 15, a total of 106,395 residents, healthcare workers, and other members of the priority sectors have received their first doses of either Sinovac’s CoronaVac or AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 jab, she added.
Of the sum, 17,257 were medical and non-medical healthcare workers from Levels 1 and 2 hospitals in the city while 26,233 were from Level 3 hospitals.
“We are proud and glad to report that we have more than 100,000 individuals who are protected from the ill effects of the virus. While this is still a minute percentage compared to our population, this is already an achievement in our year-long battle against COVID-19,” Belmonte said in a statement.
According to Belmonte, the local government plans to continue expanding the city’s vaccination program. To date, Quezon City has 14 vaccination sites,
Quezon City’s “Vax to Normal” task force co-chair Joseph Juico explained: “Our agreement with the private groups is that they will be providing the venue and the medical team while the city will be delivering the vaccines to them and monitor or supervise the whole process.”
Juico added partnerships with different groups will “multiply the effort to achieve herd immunity faster.”
Quezon City is eyeing to inoculate 1.6 million residents in six to eight months as the vaccines become available.
Meanwhile, Belmonte said more beds will be placed in the local government-run hospitals Quezon City General Hospital, Rosario Maclang Bautista General Hospital, and Novaliches Government Hospital to accommodate moderate to severe COVID-19 cases.
So far, 1,093,651 people in the country have already received their first dose while 162,065 have completed two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.
– Liezelle Soriano Roy, trainee
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