Over 220,000 Lucena residents vaccinated against COVID-19

Quezon province has intensified its vaccination program amid a rise in COVID-19 cases. Image from Facebook / Integrated Provincial Health Office – Quezon

LUCENA CITY, Philippines—A total of 220,313 residents in this capital city of Quezon province have already been vaccinated against COVID-19, it was learned.

Arnel Avila, city public information officer, citing the latest report from the City Health Office (CHO), said at least 85,756 residents have been fully vaccinated against the novel coronavirus as of December 10, while a total of 134,557 city folk have also been injected the first dose.

Lucena, classified as a highly urbanized city, would need to inoculate at least 70 percent, or 186,000 of its 266,000 population (as of the 2015 census), to achieve herd immunity. The fully vaccinated individuals constitute 46.10 percent of the target population.

Lucena has been recording a continuous drop in the number of new infections in the city, which is now under the less stringent Alert Level 2 until Dec. 15. From Dec. 1 to 10, only six COVID-19 cases were recorded.

In November, the CHO recorded 38 cases; 627 in October; and 880 in September.

The recorded active cases in Lucena have also consequently declined to 25 as of Dec. 10 from the highest single-day tally of 572 on Oct. 13.

The COVID-19 death toll in the city now stands at 220.  /ra