A health official on Monday urged residents in Cebu to still follow the minimum public health protocols even with the conduct of a massive vaccination for coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
DOH-7 chief pathologist Dr. Mary Jean Loreche, in a virtual press briefing, said there should be no change in the way the people fight against the disease, and the wearing of face mask, physical distancing, and other health protocols should still be observed.
Loreche, who is also the spokesperson for Covid-19 in the region, said despite the “probability that UK variant is already in Cebu,” there are no changes in the roadmap for the massive vaccination program here and in the province.
“Our roadmap preparation will still be the same whether there is a variant or not. Even without the variant, our infrastructure and logistical preparations are still the same. So there has to be physical distancing between one individual to the next to be vaccinated, hand washing areas will still be there, face mask will still be there. There are no changes,” she said.
The health official also said that the vaccines considered by the Philippine government would be effective even against the new Covid-19 variant.
“Yes, it’s still effective. Based on issuance of manufacturers of vaccines, they are stating the fact that those vaccines can fight UK variant, except the South African variant where they need to do some modifications or enhancements of the vaccines their produce,” she said.
The reminders came as the Department of Health (DOH)-Region 7 is busy preparing for the initial rollout of the vaccination program involving front-line health workers at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC).
Loreche said of the 2,987 health workers at the VSMMC, “2,480 okayed to be vaccinated”.
In his visit to Cebu last month, Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Martin Andanar said health-care workers would be prioritized in the vaccination either on the third or fourth week of this month.
In a social media post, Pierre Jabagat, a nurse at VSMMC, said they will be the first to be inoculated because the DOH-run regional hospital ”is also going to train the other hospitals for vaccination”. (PNA)
