Delta variant patient in San Juan City ‘chose’ not to get vax – mayor

San Juan City residents get inoculated with a single dose of Johnson & Johnson’s at the FilOil Flying V Center on Wednesday, July 21, where around 600 individuals from A2-A3 priority categories received the one-shot vaccine. Niño Jesus Orbeta/Philippine Daily Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines — San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora on Wednesday urged city residents to get vaccinated against COVID-19 after one resident contracted the Delta variant of the COVID-19 virus after “choosing not to get vaccinated.”

“The 25-year old chose not to be vaccinated,” Zamora said over Teleradyo. “Ang realidad po hindi naman natin mapilit ang tao.” (The reality is we can’t force people [get vaccinated].)

“However, we can encourage them. Sana itong sitwasyon na ‘to magbukas sa mata ng iba pa na ayaw magpabakuna na, una, wala naman po tayong dapat katakutan,” Zamora added.

(I hope this situation will open the eyes of other people who do not want to be vaccinated, there is nothing to be afraid of.)

Zamora said the 25-year-old call center agent is one of the two confirmed Delta variant cases in San Juan City. The other one is a 9-year-old. Both patients have since recovered from COVID-19.

“We have vaccines, we just need them to come to our vaccine centers,” he pointed out.

To date, the city has vaccinated 118,189 people or 137 percent of its target population while 56,757 individuals or 65 percent of the target population are already fully vaccinated.

San Juan City eyes 100 percent vaccination of its target population equivalent to 70 percent of its total population by the end of August.

The city now has 146 cases on Wednesday from 110 cases on Tuesday, according to Zamora.

/MUF