BACOLOD CITY, Philippines – Bacolod City vaccinated more than 100% of the Department of Health’s target in its Bayanihan Bakunahan drive from November 29 to December 1, while Negros Occidental topped Western Visayas for the total number of vaccine doses administered on Day 2 of the national drive.

The Bacolod city information office said more than 200 vaccinators and volunteers in 42 sites gave out 70,752 shots of the COVID-19 vaccine.

“The Department of Health’s goal for Bacolod was to jab 22,057 per day in the three days or a total of 66,171 vaccines,” the city government statement said. The actual coverage was 106.92% of that goal, it added.

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The figure covers minors from 12 to 17 years old, seniors, and people with comorbidities.

DOH-Western Visayas Regional Director Dr. Adriano Suba-an received his booster jab on Monday, November 29, in Bacolod City. Dr. Edwin Miraflor, Jr., officer-in-charge of the City Health Office, administered the vaccine.
The city government on November 29, the first day of the Bayanihan Bakunahan, said 29,047 persons received their vaccine dose, a 131.69% record above the target.

Zero to single-digit COVID cases in Western Visayas

Iloilo City also had good news, reporting zero new COVID-19 cases on December 1.

Mayor Jerry Treñas on December 2 also said the city, the Western Visayas regional center, also breached the 100% mark for vaccines given since the start of the local vaccination program on October 29.

Treñas did not give any figures. But as early as November 11, DOH-Western Visayas data showed that 318,525 persons had been fully vaccinated in Iloilo City or 95.03% of the local target population of 335,172.

The DOH-Region 6’s December 2 tracker also showed zero new cases in Aklan province. The rest of the provinces and charter city Bacolod had single digit figures for new cases.

The latest Bayanihan Bakunahan reports from local governments follow the regional health office’s drastic scale down of its three-day target.

The DOH announced a week before a 2.2-million, three-day target for the region, or 426,259 doses daily.

On November 30, however, regional Infectious Diseases Cluster chief Dr. Mary Jane Juanico bared a new total target of 791,034 or 263,678 daily.

The national government suggested the first target, she said, as the region’s ideal to help meet the country’s 15-million target for the 3-day drive.

Local government units, however, relayed their concerns of a too-high target, citing logistics problems.

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– with reports from Joseph B.A. Marzan/Rappler.com