The province of Negros Occidental is expected to remain under Alert Level 2 after March 31 due to lower coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccination coverage rate compared to other provinces in Western Visayas.
Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said on Monday he sees this as “good” because it will allow gatherings to accommodate people only up to 70 percent venue capacity.
“I think we will stay at Alert Level 2 because of the vaccination rate,” he told reporters.
Lacson said the province’s Covid-19 vaccination campaign could move slower because of the campaign period for local candidates.
“Especially now since the local campaign has started. If it was slow before, it will even be slower now,” he said.
Data of the Department of Health-Western Visayas (DOH-6) as of March 28 showed Negros Occidental has fully vaccinated 904,733 individuals in the 18 to 59 age group, or 63.28 percent of the 1.429 million target vaccinees.
Meanwhile, some 1.038 million Negrenses, or 72.62 percent, have already availed of the first dose.
Among the senior citizens or the 60 and above age group, some 130,662 individuals, or 48.46 percent of the target 269,602 vaccinees have been fully vaccinated while 135,514 elderly persons, or 50.26 percent, have been administered the first dose.
The vaccination coverage rates of Negros Occidental in the two age groups are the lowest in Western Visayas in terms of percentage.
Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz II had earlier said the low vaccination coverage rate among the Negrense elderly is the reason why Negros Occidental remains at Alert Level 2 and cannot yet be de-escalated to Alert Level 1.
On the first week of March, a team from the World Health Organization visited the province to discuss the technical support it can provide in accelerating the Covid-19 vaccination for Priority Group A2 or the senior citizens.
The assistance will directly support the province in re-engineering strategies for the older population as part of the strategy to strengthen the Covid-19 vaccination campaign.
In Region 6, from March 16 to 31, the provinces of Negros Occidental, Iloilo and Antique have been placed under Alert Level 2, while Aklan, Capiz, Guimaras and the cities of Bacolod and Iloilo are under Alert Level 1, the lowest category in the country’s Covid-19 alert level system.
Source: Philippines News Agency