Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 14) — The cities of Cagayan de Oro and Puerto Princesa tagged as ‘areas of concern’ over the spike of COVID-19 cases are in need of more vaccines, officials said Friday.
Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez said he sent letters to Inter-Agency Task Force officials requesting more vaccine doses for the city.
“As far as the vaccination is concerned, it is going smooth, but the supply is lacking. We hope the IATF will listen to the plea of Cagayan de Oro, one of the battleground cities now of COVID-19 contamination,” Rodirguez told CNN Philippines’ News Night.
OCTA Research said last week CDO listed a 75% spike in coronavirus infections while Puerto Princesa logged a 78% increase on the first week of May.
“Many local government units would require more, but we have to look at the data, like what the OCTA Research has said, that these are the areas [of] concern. There should be some consideration in giving more to these battleground cities,” Rodriguez said.
As of May 13, CDO had 849 active cases and Puerto Princesa 413, the local governments said in separate Facebook posts.
Puerto Princesa Mayor Lucilo Bayron said he will make the same vaccination supply appeal.
“Magre-request kami ng more vaccines from the national government kahit na itong mga expiring ng end of June para maapura namin na ma-vaccinate ang mga mamamayan dito sa Puerto Princesa,” he told a briefing.
[Translation: We will request from the national government more vaccines, even those expiring by the end of June to speed up our inoculation efforts.]
He said the Department of Health vowed to deploy more health care workers to the city.
“Ang malaking problema, iyong kakulangan ng mga health care, medical practitioners na magha-handle ng mga isolation and quarantine facility,” he said
[Translation: Our big problem is the lack of healthcare, medical practitioners who will handle isolation and quarantine facilities.]
He noted a number of their health workforce are either in isolation or quarantine due to COVID-19.
