Iloilo City to lift curfew; COVID-19 jabs for minors in West Visayas continues

FIGHTING VIRUS The Iloilo City government hopes that lower fees for COVID-19 tests will encourage more residents to have themselves tested. The city also provides free tests for symptomatic patients with doctor’s referral, close contacts of infected persons, returning overseas Filipinos and returning residents. —PHOTO COURTESY OF ILOILO CITY MAYOR’S OFFICE

ILOILO CITY—As the COVID-19 vaccination rollout focuses on minors and remaining adults, this city is loosening up more restrictions to revive the economy.

Starting midnight Friday, the city-wide curfew was to be lifted, according to Mayor Jerry Treñas.

Public jeepneys will also be allowed up to 70 percent of their passenger capacity.

“While we continue to work on our recovery, we have amended the protocols for the community. We are hoping that despite these protocols, we continue to be vigilant and unite in protecting one another,” Treñas said in a statement.

“Vaccination is ongoing, and we are gradually achieving our goal towards herd immunity. We have sufficient vaccines, and the National (Inter-Agency Task Force) has pledged to send more vaccines to protect both residents and non-residents of the city. We are also preparing for the possible booster shots of the front-liners and eventually, the population,” he added.

The city’s vaccination personnel have inoculated 6,439 minors with their first shot since the pilot vaccination on Oct. 29.

Aside from city residents aged 12 to 17, minors who are non-residents but are studying in the city, and children of those working in the city, will be accommodated in vaccination centers.

“I call on our parents, school heads, guardians, (Parents-Teachers Association) officers, and barangay officials to get our minors vaccinated. We need to give them protection so that they will be ready for face-to-face education. The city will do its utmost to make vaccination easy for everyone,” the mayor said.

The Department of Health in Western Visayas targets to inoculate 5,579,388 residents in the region that includes Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo, and Negros Occidental provinces.

As of Nov. 4, 1,617,650 residents or 28.99 percent are fully vaccinated and 563,732 partially vaccinated.

In Negros Occidental, at least 920 minors were inoculated Wednesday against COVID-19 in the capital city of Bacolod.

Dr. Chris Sorongon, deputy of the Emergency Operations Center Task Force, said the minors, aged 12 to 17, were administered Pfizer jabs at the Riverside College Annex, SMX Convention Center, and Ayala Malls Capitol Central.

“The turnout is very encouraging, and I cannot overemphasize the fact that this is the result of the hard work of our medical front-liners and volunteers,” said Mayor Evelio Leonardia.

The more common comorbidities among Bacolod minors who received vaccines include bronchial asthma, seizure disorders, and a spectrum of autism disorders, cardiovascular diseases, congenital heart disorders, and endocrine disorders.

Sorongon said vaccinators would mount onsite and school-based campaigns to encourage more minors to get inoculated against the virus.

The campaign kick-off will be held at the St. Scholastica’s Academy on Nov. 5, followed by the Colegio San Agustin Bacolod on Nov. 10, St. John’s Institute on Nov. 12, La Consolacion College Bacolod on Nov. 12, and Trinity Christian School on Nov. 13.

The EOC is awaiting the schedule for the Bacolod Tay Tung High School, while the University of St. La Salle-Integrated School and St. Joseph’s La Salle are master-listing the roster of their vaccinees.

Public schools under the Department of Education will also be master listed. Sorongon said the city was happy with the turnout of the pediatric vaccination efforts.

“The big turnout is also indicative of the fact that our students are eager over the prospects of a return to face-to-face classes,” he said.

“The kids are now setting the example. We noted that unvaccinated parents consequently, got jabbed because they are accompanying their minor children to the vaccination sites,” he added.

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