Vaccination can end the Covid-19 pandemic and it remains the main focus of the city government of Manila, the only one in the National Capital Region (NCR) not classified under Alert Level 4 in terms of health care utilization.
On Monday, the Department of Health (DOH) announced that all areas in the NCR are on Level 4, which means moderate to critical risk and health care utilization rate higher than 70 percent.
The DOH also said the Delta variant has been detected in all 16 NCR cities and the municipality of Pateros.
Manila is under Alert Level 3, similarly moderate to critical risk in terms of Covid-19 cases, but its bed occupancy rate is lower than 70 percent.
The capital city has 1,303 active Covid-19 cases as of noontime on Monday.
NCR has an average intensive care unit utilization rate of 74 percent but Manila’s is at 61.75 percent.
Manila Health Department chief Dr. Arnold Pangan said he hopes the city will be able to maintain, if not better, its status.
“Sana po manatili kami na ganyan o di kaya ay mapababa pa namin kaya po nakikita po natin talagang kailangan-kailangan magpabakuna doon po sa mga Batang Maynila na di pa nagpapabakuna (I hope we maintain that status or even lower it. That is why we see the need and the importance of vaccination),” Pangan said in a video statement on Monday.
On top of existing vaccination sites in schools and malls, Manila opened 45 health centers for inoculation services Mondays to Fridays, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
A total of 2,094,838 doses have been administered as of Sept. 4, with about 857,000 already fully vaccinated out of the estimated 1.2 million adult population target.
Free swab testing is also available even for non-residents while medical supplies like oxygen tanks and medicines for severe cases such as Remdesivir and Tocilizumab are likewise provided without charge upon request.
The Manila Covid-19 Field Hospital for mild to moderate Covid-19 patients at the Quirino Grandstand helps de-clog the city’s six district hospitals.
Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso paid tribute to medical front-liners in the continuing fight against the pandemic.
“Maraming salamat sa ating mga magigiting na health care workers dahil sa inyo tayo’y naging maagap sa paglaban sa Delta variant ng Covid-19. Dahil sa kahandaan ng ating lungsod, tayo lang ang kaisa-isang lungsod sa Metro Manila na wala sa Alert Level 4 (Thanks to our health care workers, we can fight the Delta variant. Because of our preparations, we are the only city in Metro Manila not classified under Alert Level 4),” Domagoso said in a statement. (PNA)
