Mayor Isko Moreno announces that Manila has vaccinated more than one million already. Photo by JERRY S. TAN
Over 1M vaccinated in Manila
THE city of Manila has breached the one million mark in so far as the total number of individuals who have been vaccinated is concerned.
This was announced by Mayor Isko Moreno, as he also bared the bad news that the Manila Infectious Disease Control Center in Sta. Ana Hospital, which had been designated as the city of Manila’s “COVID Center” at the height of the pandemic last year, is now on full capacity.
Moreno said that as of 5 p.m. of August 12, the total number of individuals who have been jabbed in Manila is at 1,007,711. Of the number, 667,440 have gotten their full dose while the total number of vaccines deployed is now 1,636, 354.
According to him, the city’s eligible population of 18 to 100 years old is 1,065,149 and with this being the target to achieve the 80 percent population protection, the city has made it.
While the city’s entire population is about 1.9 million including those 17 and younger, the target percentage cannot be achieved with the inclusion of minors since inoculating this age group is not yet being allowed by the Department of Health.
Meanwhile, the mayor said that while the Sta. Ana Hospital is now full, the 94 percent occupancy rate at the Manila COVID-19 Field Hospital in Luneta and under Dr. Arlene Dominguez went down to 92 percent as of August 12.
“Puno na ang Sta. Ana. Nakalulungkot, bagamat napakarami nating itinatag, kagaya ng aking inaasahan, nangyari sa atin gaya ng sa ibang bansa. Mayroon pa tayong espasyo bagamat konting-konti na lang. Pipilitin natin itong malagpasan,” Moreno said.
He also announced that Vice Mayor Honey Lacuna, who contracted the COVID-19 recently, continues to be confined at the Sta. Ana Hospital located in the city’s sixth district and is doing well under the care of its director, Dr. Grace Padilla.
“May awa ang Diyos. Kailangang-kailangan ko tulong ninyo. Kailangang-kailangan ko ang tulong niya (Lacuna) at ang tulong ng lahat. Sama-sama tayo dahil iisang bangka lang tayo. Pag nabutas ang bangkang ito, sabay-sabay tayong lulubog. Grabe ang bugso ng pasyente kaya mag-iingat tayo. Doble ingat mga kababayan…Medyo masama po ang sitwasyon,” the mayor said.
He thanked Lacuna, the Manila Health Department under its head Dr. Arnold Pangan, the health frontliners, barangay authorities, doctors, nurses, Sangguniang Kabataan and the volunteers for the success of the city’s mass vaccination program that helped the local government breach the one million mark in so short a time. The said program begun in March.
Moreno said the occupancy rate in the other city-run hospitals is now at 55 percent while 21 percent occupancy was registered in the quarantine facilities.
There are now 208 confirmed, active COVID-19 cases in Manila with 146 recoveries and four deaths while 141,795 have been given free swab testing so far.
