The Maasin City government in Southern Leyte has requested the National Inter-Agency Task Force against coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) and the Department of Health for more assistance in battling the pandemic.
In a statement on Friday, Mayor Nacional Mercado said he sent a letter last week to Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, and National Task Force against Covid-19 Chief Implementer and Vaccine Czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. asking for more vaccines, medical supplies, and equipment.
“We humbly requested to be prioritized in the giving of vaccines doses to serve the demand of our beloved constituents who are in dire need of protection,” Mercado said.
As of July 7, about 5,210 residents got the first dose of Covid-19 vaccine while 2,419 received the second dose.
The number of fully vaccinated only represents 5.08 percent of the total members of the eligible group, Mercado said.
The mayor also asked Duque to help release their health insurance reimbursement to their health facilities and more provision for medical supplies, masks, test kits, ventilators, high flow oxygen, and medicines to treat Covid-19 patients.
“We are hoping for a quick reply since lives are at stake every day and resources and manpower are overwhelmed. Our active cases in Maasin City continue to go up, a lot are already suffering, especially our front-liners and we are hoping that this will be given action as soon as possible,” he added.
As of July 8, Maasin City, the capital of Southern Leyte has recorded 938 confirmed Covid-19 cases, including 875 recoveries, 40 active cases, and 23 deaths.
Source: Philippines News Agency