(Eagle News) — The vaccination against COVID-19 started in Pasay City on Tuesday, March 2, the same day that the Department of Health (DOH) confirmed the presence of the highly infectious South African variant in the country, including three cases in Pasay City.
Many health care workers received the Sinovac vaccines, and expressed hope that they can now have some protection against a deadly disease that had so far claimed more than 200 lives in the city.
The health workers who lined up to get the life-saving vaccines feel that with the vaccines now at hand, getting this first dose was better than risk getting COVID-19 as they face patients day-in and day-out.
They find hope in the recent research on SInovac that it can prevent them from getting severe COVID-19 infection. This means, the vaccine can save lives.
In Pasay City, COVID-19 cases spiked in recent weeks. Many had suspected that this could be because of the possible entry of more infectious variants.
Today, this is confirmed as the South African variant was detected in three COVID-19 cases in the city.
-Mayor appeals to frontliners to get vaccinated-
Pasay City mayor Emmi Calixto Rubiano, in a video message played at the start of the vaccination drive in the city, appealed to the medical frontliners to have the vaccines, saying she did not want them to experience what she and her family felt when they got COVID-19
Mayor Rubiano announced last month that she got infected with COVID-19.
“Ayaw ko pong maranasan ng kahit na sino dito ang naranasan ko at ng aking pamilya, lalo na ang mga health care workers at frontliners na high-risk at binubuwis ang kanilang buhay upang makapagbigay ng tapat na paglilingkod sa ating kapwa,” Rubiano said.
“Dahil sa vaccine na ito, malaki po ang maitutulong nito upang tayo ay makabalik sa normal na buhay,” she said.
-77 bgys under lockdown-
In Pasay City, 77 barangays and 210 households were placed under localized lockdown due to the presence of multiple COVID-19 cases.
The city, as of Tuesday, March 2, has 521 active cases. Total cases have reached 8,203, but of this number, 7,466 have already recovered. Total deaths were 216.
As of today, it reported 61 new cases. On Monday, March 1, the new cases were 44.
-Right info will lead to educated decison to get vaccinated-
With the vaccine rollout, the health care workers who are feeling the brunt of the rise in COVID-19 cases in the city, feel a sense of relief that they can get some protection from the deadly disease.
“I’m very hopeful dito sa ating Sinovac,” said Councilor Joey Calixto Isidro who is a board member of a hospital in Pasay City.
Another nurse also said that getting the right information will lead one to decide on getting vaccinated.
“I strongly believe in the science behind the vaccines. We can address fear with proper information. Kapag nag-research tayo, we will be able to dormulate an educated decision to get the vaccine.
At the same time, the health workers appealed to the public to take extra safety precautions, especially now that the presence of the South African variant has been confirmed in the city.
(With a video report from Madelyn Villar Moratillo, Eagle News Service)