Calabarzon logs rising active COVID-19 cases

LUCENA CITY — The number of active COVID-19 cases in the Calabarzon (Cavite, Batangas, Laguna, Rizal, Quezon) region is on the rise again, based on the latest record by local health authorities.

As of 3 p.m. on Saturday, December 10, the Health Education and Promotion Unit of the Department of Health (DOH)–Calabarzon reported 45 new cases, bringing the current number of active infections across the region to 811 from 749 recorded on December 1. The regional health authorities did not provide information on the COVID-19 variants of the active cases in the region.

The latest figures showed that Cavite topped the list with 290 active cases followed by Laguna with 195, Batangas with 147, Rizal with 109, and Quezon with 70.

So far, the authorities already recorded 952 cases this month and listed 3,243 cases in November, 8,038 cases in October, and 7,221 in September.

Based on the Regional Vaccination Operations Center (RVOC) data, 10,751,799 (91 percent) have completed their primary series of the COVID vaccine as of November 29, 2022.

But only 3,255,306 (28 percent) individuals have received their first booster shots.

The record did not provide specific figures on the number of children that have been vaccinated against the coronavirus.

Local health authorities say the low number of vaccinated residents was due to vaccine hesitancy. Most residents who received their first dose failed to return for their second dose, probably out of fear or had side effects from their first dose.

From Dec. 5 to Dec. 7, the DOH held vaccination campaigns across the region for children to have a safe celebration during the Christmas holiday.

The said campaign aimed to integrate routine immunization with COVID-19 vaccination to increase the coverage for the country’s fully immunized children (FIC), which was recorded to have been “critically low” during the pandemic.

According to the DOH-Calabarzon, the FIC in the region is only 33.96 percent, lower than the data recorded last year at 56.17 percent.

The original target for routine immunization for children was 95 percent, but it was unlikely to be achieved, according to the DOH.

Instead, the health authorities will only target to exceed the coverage this year.

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