Malacanang lauds the country’s historic initial victory against the COVID-19 pandemic
(Eagle News) – San Juan City announced it had already vaccinated with the first dose 70 percent of its population, representing the initial victory of the country against the COVID-19 pandemic.
With this declaration, San Juan City is the first ever city in the country to achieve the vaccination of its target population using the first dose. It also aims to achieve herd immunity by the end of August by fully vaccinating the same target population.
On Monday, July 12, in a ceremony marking the occasion, San Juan City mayor Francis Zamora expressed confidence that they do this — fully vaccinate 70 percent of its population by the end of August. And after they have vaccinated all qualified San Juan City residents, and even those who are not residing in San Juan City but are working there, San Juan City would help other cities in their vaccination drive, the mayor said.
The victory in San Juan City is also meaningful since the city is also the site of the first-ever local transmission of COVID-19 on March 6 last year, at the Greenhills Shopping Center.
“Bagamat dito po sa San Juan, nagsimula ang first local transmission ng COVID-19 dito sa Pilipinas, dito rin natin unang tatapusin ang COVID-19 dito sa San Juan,” Zamora said in ceremonies marking the achievement on Monday, July 12 at the Greenhills shopping center where the third vaccination center in the city was also inaugurated that day.
“Hindi po yan imposible. Makakamit natin yan sa mga darating ng linggo at buwan,” he said.
Zamora said that they are, in fact, already vaccinating non-residents of San Juan, as long as they are working in the city.
-Historic first victory against the pandemic-
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque announced San Juan City’s achievement as the country’s first victory against the pandemic.
He also noted the historical significance of San Juan City, as the site of the Battle of Pinaglabanan, considered as the first battle of the Philippine Revolution in 1896.
“Dito po sa San Juan ang battle of Pinaglabanan, kung saan kinu-commemmorate natin ang kauna-unahang pag-aklas at tagumpay ng mga Pilipino, ng mga katipunero na pinamunuan nina (Andres) Bonifacio at ni (Emilio) Jacinto laban sa mga Espanyol. At kanina po ay tayo ay nag-commemorate din ng ating kauna-unahang tagumpay laban sa COVID-19 dahil nag-100 percent na po tayo sa first dose dito sa siyudad ng San Juan,” he said.
-No walk-in policy-
Mayor Zamora revealed his formula for success. San Juan City, he said, did not allow any walk-in registration, and relied fully on online registration where all those scheduled for vaccination are duly notified, and informed about the need to get the COVID-19 shot.
All those who got the first dose were also informed why they needed to return for the second dose – that is for them to get their full protection against COVID-19.
Zamora said, so far, they did not experience any problems for those scheduled for the second dose.
In case, they miss their schedule, the mayor said the vaccines can return anytime to the vaccination center provided they have with them, their proof that they have already been given the first dose, and that they have a schedule for the first dose. There is no problem, he said, if they got to the vaccination center, days after their scheduled shot. They will be given their second dose, Zamora said.
“Wala po kaming mag-walk in,” he said explaining that people who registered for a COVID-19 vaccine needed to get a confirmatory text before they get to the vaccination site. In this way, he said, everything was systematic.
Since they started the vaccination against COVID-19 on March 6, San Juan City had already vaccinated with the first dose at least 96,610 of their residents, representing 70 percent of the population.
According to the 2020 census, San Juan City has a population of 126,347 people and is considered the smallest city in Metro Manila.
“We are projecting sir that by the end of August, we should be done with our full doses for our 70 percent target population,” Zamora told Roque.
-Full vaccination of target population in San Juan City by end of August-
The mayor said that so far, they have already vaccinated with the second dose at least 29.313 individuals, which means San Juan City is just around 66,000 people shy of achieving full vaccination status for its 70 percent target population.
Roque said that “history repeats itself” in San Juan with this historic victory.
“So there you have it po, history repeats itself. Dito sa San Juan ang battle of Pinaglabanan, kauna-unahang matagumpay na pag-aaklas laban sa mga dayuhan. Dito rin nagaganap ang kauna-unahang tagumpay natin laban sa COVID-19, sa pamamagitan ng pagbabakuna,” he said.
Trade and Industry Secretary Ramon Lopez also lauded the move by San Juan City to put notices in stores in the city which have fully-vaccinated workers, saying this would boost confidence in business.
On Monday, July 12, San Juan City also inaugurated its third vaccination site. Located at the V-Mall, at the Greenhills Shopping Center, to further speed up its jab roll-out in the city.
A month ago, the Greenhills theater mall cinemas were converted into vaccination sites. These were dedicated to A4 workers or those individuals who are working in San Juan but reside outside the city. Around 800 to 1,000 a day are being vaccinated in the two mall cinemas there.
FilOil Flyng V Center or the San Juan Arena vaccination center where 3,000 are being vaccinated per day, is the very first vaccination center in San Juan City.
San Juan City started its vaccination against COVID-19 on March 6 at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center.
-Observing minimum health protocols still vital-
Zamora, however, stressed that all should still observe minimum health protocols such as wearing of face mask and face shield, maintaining physical distancing, proper and frequent handwashing, and ensuring ventilation in enclosed spaces, is essential.
The mayor noted that it was on March 6 last year in San Juan City that the first local transmission of COVID-19 in the Philippines was observed, also at the Greenhills Shopping Center. In the last 15 months, he said the city focused on vaccinating its population. The city started its online registration for COVID-19 vaccines on January 4 this year in anticipation of the vaccines’ arrival in the country.
(Eagle News Service)
