Albay gov claims receiving just 6,000 vaccine doses, appeals for 40K more

MANILA, Philippines — Albay governor Al Francis Bichara is appealing for more COVID-19 vaccines amid the virus transmission among essential workers in the province.

Bichara said that as of June 23, only over 6,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been sent to their province.

“Ang problema namin, kokonting bakuna ang dumadating kasi ang dumating sa amin ay 6,000 plus pero ang dapat bakunahan namin ay 46,000 from A1 to A4,” Bichara said during the Laging Handa briefing.

(Our problem is that we received very few vaccines, just over 6,000 doses have arrived yet we need to vaccinate 46,000 individuals from A1 to A4.)

“[Kailangan] lalo na’t nagkakaroon ng local transmission lalo na yung mga government personnel tsaka yung sa mga bangko, tellers, cashiers, mga essential workers,” he added.

(We need more vaccines, especially as there was local transmission among government personnel, banks, tellers, cashiers, and essential workers.)

Bichara then appealed to the national government to send additional 40,000 doses of vaccines to cover their residents in the A1 to A4 vaccination category.

“Ang kailangan namin ngayon dito para makumpleto namin at least yung mga A1 to A4, especially yung essential workers, we need at least 40,000 vaccines,” Bichara said.

(We need at least 40,000 vaccines to cover the A1 to A4 population.)

“Kung maraming darating, kailangan padalhan kami ng 40,000 vaccines para ma-reduce namin yung local transmission,” he added.

(If there will be vaccines arriving in the country, some 40,000 vaccines need to be sent to our province so we can reduce local transmission.)

According to Bichara, there are 1,958 active COVID-19 cases in their province and over 1,900 recoveries. The death rate in the province has reached 119, said the governor.

EDV