Misamis Oriental appeals for more vaccines amid surge in COVID cases

MANILA, Philippines — Misamis Oriental Gov. Bambi Emano on Wednesday appealed to the national government for more vaccines to protect residents of Gingoog City, which was placed under the strictest quarantine curbs amid a surge in coronavirus cases.

“Nakikiusap kami at sumulat na kahit madagdagan na muna kahit 20,000 doses yung Misamis Oriental, hopefully it will help us contain and inoculate muna yung mga bayan na malapit sa city of Cagayan de Oro and yung Gingoog City po,” Emano said in a televised briefing.

(So, we asked and wrote a letter to the regional director Llacuna to have an additional of at least 20,000 doses to Misamis Oriental, hopefully it will help us contain and inoculate the towns near the city of Cagayan de Oro and Gingoog City first.)

Gingoog City and Cagayan de Oro were placed under the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) after local cases of the COVID-19 Delta variant were detected in these areas.

Due to the low vaccine supply, Emano said the vaccination of senior citizens and persons with comorbidities also remains slow.

“Hindi naman siguro mahina from the national point of view pero yung allocation ng Misamis Oriental ay sobrang kakaunti,” Emano said.

(It may not be weak from the national point of view but the allocation of Misamis oriental is very small.)

“Kung titignan mo naman yung inoculation rate, pag roll-out pinakamataas nga sa buong Pilipinas ang Region 10 and isa yung Misamis Oriental na medyo mabilis na mag inoculate,” he went on.

(If you look at the inoculation rate, when it rolls out, region 10 is the highest in the whole Philippines and Misamis oriental is one that inoculates relatively quickly.)

As of July 18, Misamis Oriental’s public information office said there are a total of 6,010 COVID-19 cases in the province, composed of 355 active cases, 5,404 recoveries, and 250 deaths.

The Philippines has 35 COVID-19 Delta variant cases detected so far. Eleven of them were tagged as “local cases.”

According to the Department of Health, five cases were detected in Cagayan de Oro, one in Misamis Oriental, two cases in Metro Manila, one case has an address in Central Luzon but tested in Metro Manila, and two cases were found in Antique. — Sofia Vertucio, trainee

EDV