The city government here will soon deploy a second mobile vaccination bus to inoculate more Bacolodnons against the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
The latest “VAX-i” bus, offered by the Yanson family-owned Vallacar Transit Inc. (VTI), was unveiled in rites led by Mayor Evelio Leonardia at the Bacolod City Government Center grounds on Thursday afternoon.
“The fight against the Covid-19 pandemic is a race against time. That is why your city government, hand-in-hand with the Emergency Operations Center Task Force (EOC-TF), is finding ways to introduce more innovations in our vaccination drive,” Leonardia said.
He acknowledged the continued support of Vallacar Transit, headed by president Leo Rey Yanson and matriarch Olivia Yanson, to the Covid-19 response of the city government.
Lawyer Julius Entila, VTI vice president for administration, said the bus firm will assist the city in whatever way it can, adding that a third “VAX-i” bus will be completed in the coming weeks.
“We hope it helps. We are grateful for this opportunity to help the City of Bacolod,” he added.
The city deployed its first VAX-i bus on August 13 mainly to rollout the Covid-19 vaccination for vendors, stall owners, and workers in the three major public markets.
City Administrator Em Ang, who also sits as executive director of EOC-TF, said the VAX-i bus drives around Bacolod, with doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers on board, to administer Covid-19 vaccines to workers in the marginalized sectors and other priority groups.
Dr. Edwin Miraflor Jr., officer-in-charge of the City Health Office, said Covid-19, being a dynamic disease, also needs a dynamic solution that includes the “VAX-I” and drive-thru vaccination activities.
Aside from the mobile vaccination drive, the city government continues the rollout of Covid-19 vaccines in six shopping malls as well in several barangay gymnasiums and school clusters.
The drive-thru vaccination is only being held at Ayala Malls Capitol Central.
As of August 15, some 180,045 residents here have been inoculated against Covid-19, of which almost 80,000 are fully vaccinated. (PNA)
