CEBU, Philippines – At least 232 minors died from COVID-19 between December 2021 and January 2022 in the Central Visayas, according to the regional Department of Health (DOH) office.

Of those deaths, 30 happened in December, while 202 of died in January. 

Currently, vaccinations are offered for minors between the ages of 12 and 17.

Inoculations for the 5 to 11 age group will begin in the region sometime mid-February, while the rollout will begin in the National Capital Region on Monday, February 7.

“If these numbers are not enough to encourage us to have our children vaccinated, I do not know what,” DOH Central Visayas Chief Pathologist Mary Jean Loreche said in a press conference on Friday February 4.

Nationwide, the DOH reported that 69.2% of the COVID-19 cases among the pediatric group (those 17 years and below) in January 2022 were children aged 0 to 11.

Must Read

In January, 69.2% of COVID-19 cases among minors are aged 0 to 11 – DOH

So far, at least 4,433 minors with comorbidities – or 3.96% of eligible population in the Central Visayas region – have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, while at least 35% of the remainder of the eligible minors, or 354,620, have been fully vaccinated against the disease. 

A total of 6,603 people have died from the coronavirus in Central Visayas since the pandemic began in 2020. 

More isolation beds

Meanwhile the Cebu City government, in partnership with the Archdiocese of Cebu and the Office of the Presidential Assistant for the VIsayas, recently reopened the 120-bed isolation facility at IC3, a Church-owned convention center in Mabolo, Cebu City on Thursday, February 3.

The IC3 will treat mild to moderate COVID-19 cases. 

Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma told Rappler in a text message that the project will help provide quality care to those especially from “the lower-income bracket.”

“The agreement between the local church of Cebu and the Vicente Sotto hospital for the use of the IEC building as a COVID-19 treatment center will now allow for the province and cities of Cebu to accommodate COVID patients, especially from the lower income bracket, to be assured of quality treatment from COVID,” Palma said.  

As of Wednesday, February 2, data from Project Balik Buhay in Cebu showed that 56.9% or 348 out of 612 beds in Cebu private hospitals are being utilized. For Cebu’s identified public hospitals, 67.3% or 512 out of 761 beds are being used.

The danger zone for hospital bed capacity is pegged at 60%.

Bus terminal vaccination sites

To help accelerate vaccinations further, new sites will be opened at bus terminals in the city. 

“For logistics and staffing (of the additional sites), we can plan this out with the LGU (local government units) where the terminals are located. No identified sites but we can request the transport group to identify,” Loreche said.

Eduardo Montealto, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board Region regional director, proposed opening sites at the South Bus Terminal along Natalio Bacalso Avenue in Cebu City, and the North Bus Terminal in Subangdaku, Mandaue City.

They would have to seek the permission first, however, of Cebu Governor Gwen Garcia as bus terminals are managed by the provincial government.

The Land Transportation Office of Central Visayas also offered their office as an additional vaccination site.

As of February 3, Metro Cebu has a total of 1,671,872 fully-vaccinated residents out of 2,433,992 eligible individuals. At least 116,412 have already gotten their booster shots. – Rappler.com