Isko Moreno lauds health workers for efficient COVID-19 vaccination despite bad weather  

Despite bad weather, Manila residents lined up on Sunday, July 25, 2021, at a COVID-19 vaccination center at the Lucky Chinatown Mall. (Photo from the Manila Public Information Office).

MANILA, Philippines — Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso congratulated the Manila Health Department on Sunday for its efficiency in administering COVID-19 vaccines on Saturday despite bad weather and flooding in several areas of the national capital.

As of 9 p.m. on Saturday, he noted, 37,134 people were vaccinated — which accounted for a little over 30% of the total 121,930 people vaccinated in the National Capital Region on that day.

“Our vaccination in Manila did not stop,” he said in Filipino, according to a statement. “We did not stop.”

The mayor also thanked the people who came to be vaccinated.

“Thank you for trusting the City of Manila,” Domagoso said.

“This means our system is efficient. It is not perfect, but it is working. Our main concern is the vaccination has to be faster than the infection. COVID-19 does not stop even during a storm. So neither should we stop our vaccination,” he added.

Domagoso made it clear that the city would continue vaccinating people against COVID-19 as fast as possible — “come hell or high water.”

“Our policy remains the same: As much as possible we should not let COVID-10 vaccines stay too long in a storage facility. Time is of the essence here. If we wait a second longer, the situation might get worse,” he said.

“Although the City of Manila has prepared for the worst-case scenario, we do not want to be in that situation,” he added.

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