Zubiri appeals for more vaccines to regions as COVID-19 cases hike in N. Mindanao

Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri on Tuesday asked the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Disease (IATF) to deliver more vaccines to the regions as he expressed concern over the uptick of COVID-19 cases in Northern Mindanao.

“I made this appeal weeks ago and I'm making this appeal again today as cases are alarming. Vaccinations are key to protection and herd immunity,” Zubiri, who hails from Bukidnon, said in a text message to reporters.

Zubiri said that the surge may be due to variants entering the borders of Region X provinces due to lax cross border travel and flights from major cities.

“There is no minimum testing or quarantine done to passengers arriving by ship or air from any part of our country. Thus, we will never know if those entering the provinces are clear for COVID-19. We need reinstate this health protocols at the borders,” he said.

The senator also noted the lax implementation of minimum health standards such as mandatory face masks and social distancing, and asked the IATF to instruct their local counterparts to do their part in ensuring that the minimum health protocols are observed.

“Driving around will show many people either have no masks or are improperly wearing them and at the barangay areas you can easily see crowds gathering with dozens of children playing with no social distancing being practiced whatsoever,” he said.

“Maraming pasaway [Many are still violating the protocols] thinking that what happened in Metro Manila will not happen to them here. Unfortunately, many regions now are surging with cases due to the same mindset of the people there,” he added.

On Monday, Zubiri issued a statement on the rising number of COVID-19 cases in at least three provinces in Mindanao.

“Two weeks ago, our regional IATF already reported a 300-percent rise in cases in Lanao del Norte. And this weekend, [Cagayan De Oro] reported that their numbers have risen to 962, from just 100-plus in March. In Bukidnon, our medical frontliners are struggling to deal with the sudden surge of COVID-19 patients,” he said.

“Our hospitals are already filling up. I know that Bukidnon Provincial Medical Hospital (BPMH) is full, along with some of our private hospitals. And Northern Mindanao Medical Center has already raised its status to Code Red, with 50 percent of their operating capacity taken up by COVID cases,” he added.

Earlier this month, vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. bared the list of areas that would be prioritized in the distribution of vaccine doses.

The list includes the following areas in Mindanao:

•     Davao City
•     Cagayan de Oro City
•     Zamboanga City
•     General Santos City
•     Iligan City
•     Davao Region
•     Zamboanga Peninsula
•     Northern Mindanao

The Philippine government has administered a total of 4.3 million doses nationwide as of Tuesday, with 986,929 Filipinos now fully vaccinated against the virus.

An average of 162,513 COVID-19 jabs were administered daily, according to the National Task Force (NTF) against COVID-19.

The Philippines is eyeing the inoculation of 50 to 70 million individuals this year to achieve herd immunity. — BM, GMA News