The provincial government here is setting up a mega vaccination facility in preparation for the mass inoculation of Tarlaqueños against coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).

Located at the San Isidro evacuation center in this city, the mega vaccine hub has the capacity to accommodate 1,500 individuals per day.

“We will replicate this hub in the province’s first and second districts,” Gov. Susan Yap said in her video message on Wednesday.

Yap said the priority in the mass vaccination are indigent senior citizens.

The provincial government has allotted some PHP100 million for the purchase of the vaccines.

“We are under negotiations with three suppliers and we expect the vaccines to arrive in the third quarter of the year,” she said.

The governor asked Tarlaqueños not to be afraid of the vaccines as it is the solution to the prevailing pandemic.

So far, some 8,541 front-liners in the fight against coronavirus have been inoculated since the start of the rollout of the vaccination program last March 7.

Meanwhile, Yap ordered the strict implementation of health and safety protocols to prevent a surge in Covid-19 cases across the province.

In her meeting with the members of the Provincial Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases on Tuesday, Yap urged the mayors of local government units (LGUs) to strictly enforce health protocols and quarantine measures.

“Dahil sa madalas kong naririnig na maraming pasaway. Stricter measures ay kakailanganin na (Because I always hear that there are lots of stubborn. Strict measures are needed),” Yap said in an official social media post.

She cited the need for compliance with minimum public health standards including wearing of face mask, washing of hands, and safe physical distancing.

The governor likewise asked for the conduct of immediate contact tracing for those who were possibly exposed to the virus through the use of Movement Activity Tracker Application (MATA).

She said those positive for Covid-19 must be isolated and brought to the quarantine facility.

“Huwag ng pasaway Tarlaqueños! Kaya natin ito (Don’t be disobedient, Tarlaqueños. We can do this),” she added.

As of April 6, 52 more Tarlaqueños recovered from Covid-19. This brought the total number of recoveries to 1,897 while the active cases slid down to 806.

There are 80 newly confirmed Covid-19 cases, bringing the total number to 2,801.

Four more Covid-19 patients died, raising the death toll to 98. (PNA)