Three Cebu towns host night COVID-19 vaccination for daytime workers

FILE PHOTO: A person receives an injection with Sputnik V (Gam-COVID-Vac) vaccine against the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on January 27, 2021. REUTERS/Eduard Korniyenko/File Photo/File Photo

CEBU CITY — Three local governments in Cebu have found an innovative way to vaccinate laborers who cannot leave their work during the day.

The nightly inoculation happens on certain days in Mandaue City and Consolacion town as well as daily in Lapu-Lapu City.

The night vaccination is scheduled every Friday from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Mandaue City Sports Complex.

In Lapu-Lapu City, the vaccination at night happens daily where the regular daytime schedule is extended until 9 p.m. at the Hoops Dome Sports Complex.

Consolacion town is the latest to join the program. It now has night inoculation every Tuesday and Thursday from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Consolacion Mayor Joannes Alegado said the program is aimed at stepping up the vaccination, especially for those who are working during the day.

Alegado said they also initiated an online raffle for those who got vaccinated. They will have a chance to win sacks of rice, gift certificates, and appliances.

For the three local governments, the participant just needs to register online in order to avail of the nightly inoculation.

Cebu City, on the other hand, has stepped up its vaccination program by opening more sites as well as launching a drive-thru vaccination.

The cities of Cebu, Mandaue, and Lapu-Lapu as well as the town of Consolacion are just four of the densely populated localities in Metro Cebu which has a target of 1.74 million people eligible for COVID-19 vaccination.

As of September 14, data from the Vaccination Operations Center in Cebu showed that the Metro Cebu area has already inoculated 48.53 percent of the target but only 34.93 percent has completed the second dose so far.

Cebu City already inoculated 538,559 people where 222,117 have already completed the second dose or about 33.39 percent.

Mandaue City inoculated a total of 318,401 but only 138,396 have completed the second dose or about 45.01 percent.

Lapu-Lapu City has 35.41 percent of the eligible population fully vaccinated. It has already administered 305,200 doses.

In earlier announcements, Department of Health in Central Visayas (DOH-7) chief pathologist, Dr. Mary Jean Loreche, said Metro Cebu is targeting to hit herd immunity by end of October at a target pace of more than 120,000 inoculations per week.