The Cordillera has posted good accomplishment in vaccination rate and lowering the number of recorded new active Covid-19 cases.
Department of Health-Cordillera Director Rio Magpantay said the accomplishment is a good sign as the region transitions into the new normal for which the government is crafting a new set of guidelines and protocols.
Based on the Covid-19 regional situation and vaccination rollout status as of March 9, Magpantay reported the Cordillera has a total of 117,933 cases, of which only 162 are active cases or .14 percent, and 115,170 cases or 97.7 percent have recovered, while 2,579 or 2.2 percent have died.
On March 10, Magpantay said they noted only four new cases in the entire region.
“As a whole, the region has good accomplishments in terms of lower number of cases and it passed in terms of vaccination,” Magpantay reported during the Code team visit in Baguio on March 11.
The total number of fully vaccinated individuals in the region reached 1,084,231 or 73.17 percent of the target 70 percent of the 80 percent population of 1,481,793, and for high risk A2 sector, 120,153 senior citizens or 89 percent out of 135,093 target population have been fully vaccinated.
However, Magpantay said much still have to be done for the accomplishments of some provinces which have still failed to reach the vaccination targets both for the cumulative population and A2.
Per province, Abra reached 88.64 percent of its cumulative population and 117.1 percent of the A2 population; Apayao – 76.57 percent of cumulative population are fully vaccinated and 97 percent for A2; Baguio 103.49 percent and 102.02 percent, respectively; Kalinga 75.81 percent and 86.42 percent.
All these are currently under alert level 1.
Mountain Province, on the other hand, has yet to reach the 70 percent target for cumulative population that are fully vaccinated after recording 66.94 percent but surpassed the 80 percent target for A2 at 85 percent.
Magpantay said their goal is to make sure Mountain Province achieves 70 percent in a week’s time.
More has to be done for Benguet after latest data showed the province covered only 53.36 percent of its cumulative population and 54.07 percent for A2.
Ifugao has lowest percentage of coverage of its cumulative population with 51.48 percent but passed the target for seniors with 70.16 percent.
“For Benguet, medyo malayo pero kakayanin. Kailangan, extra effort tayo dito at alamin ano ba ang kailangan gawin and also for Ifugao. The challenge is for these provinces to achieve at least 70 and 80 percent by the end of the month,” Magpantay said.
He said all local government units concerned must understand fully the consequences if targets are not reached to the health and safety of its constituents and lowering the risk now that the country is transitioning from pandemic into endemic level.
An analysis of the region’s Covid-19 situation, while now at minimal epidemic risk level, showed gaps in the vaccine rollout implementation such as low demand generation inadequate manpower for vaccination in some areas, and mismatch in availability of vacinees and vaccinators.
Magpantay said these are being addressed with priority given to Benguet, Ifugao, and Mountain Province which remains under alert level 2. – Hanna C. Lacsamana
April 25, 2024
