CEBU CITY, Cebu, Dec. 6 (PIA) -- Samboan town in Southern Cebu has remained free from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) for over a month.
Samboan Mayor Emerito Calderon Jr., during the Network Briefing News on Dec. 2 said that for the past month, they have had zero cases and no patients under monitoring.
However, as the pandemic still prevails and with the emergence of a new variants, Calderon advised his constituents to not be complacent and to always keep the safety protocols in place.
"For me, any variant or any virus for that matter will have the same safety protocols. The minimum health standard should be continued to be observed, avoid crowds, maintain social distancing, and always wear masks. That will work for any variant," he said.
Calderon said their town took part in the simultaneous National Vaccination Days dubbed "Bayanihan Bakunahan" held Nov. 29 to Dec. 1.
He expressed elation saying "it was very much better than the average daily jabs we got before the three-day national vaccination" despite falling short of their target.
The mayor said the vaccination drive from the national government really helped convince the public especially the younger ones to get the jab.
On mandatory vaccination, Calderon said that being a doctor himself, he strongly agrees with the policy that everybody should get vaccinated.
"I will really support and try to convince our townspeople to get themselves vaccinated," he added.
The mayor noted that with their population of 23,000, their target of 70% would be around 14,000 to 15,000 injections to achieve the herd immunity.
"We are now at a total of 5,180 vaccinations. So, we are still a third of our target. And what we are doing now is really trying to convince people to get themselves vaccinated," Calderon said.
He listed a few of their municipal employees who are not yet vaccinated, citing reasons related to religiosity and fear of side effects from those with comorbidities.
"Almost all our teachers here are getting vaccinated, getting their first dose because we already have one elementary school that is a pilot project for face-to-face, and we require all the teachers to be fully vaccinated. So, we are getting there," he said.
Calderon said they have noticed an increase in vaccinations in the past few weeks compared to the last few months where it has been very slow.
"We have gone through a lot. We have gone through difficult times. We are trying to move the economy forward, balancing it with health protocols and safety, so I hope that we will work together because the local government cannot do this alone. We need to work hand in hand, balancing economy and health issues, so I hope that we will continue to work together as we improve our economy," the mayor added. (IDC/PIA7)
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