THE Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), in support of the National Vaccination Program, recently released a memorandum to all local government units (LGUs) to ensure the timely distribution and administration of COVID-19 vaccines in order to prevent their wastage and at the same time to encourage more citizens to take their jabs.
“The supply of vaccines received by the LGU should be properly managed to prevent its wastage,” said DILG Secretary and National Task Force against COVID-19 (NTF) Vice Chairman Secretary Eduardo Año during his report to the President on October 11.
“The supply of vaccines received by provinces and cities should be distributed by the LGUs within 15 days up to 30 starting from the day it was delivered, and should be administered immediately three days from receipt of the vaccines,” Año added.
The DILG chief also required all LGUs to come up with their respective Risk Communication Plans that will reflect national policies and should be effectively implemented by assigned offices in the localities.
“At lahat po ng kaso ng pagpapabaya at kawalang pag-iingat ng mga empleyado na magiging sanhi ng pagkasira ng mga bakuna ay iimbestigahan at papatawan ng karampatang parusa ng mga mapapatunayan nagpabaya,” Año added.
Meanwhile, NFT Chief Implementer and vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. earlier urged LGUs to be creative in implementing their vaccination program to generate demand and encourage people, especially those under A2 (senior citizens) and A3 (persons with comorbidities) groups, to get vaccinated.
Meanwhile, NTF Chairman and Department of Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana attributed the decline in COVID-19 cases to the effective implementation of the Crisis Action Plan.
“From the communities sub-cluster, we have added 5,514 contact tracers from October 3 to 7. Our total number of contact tracers today is 136,937,” Lorenzana said.
“We have already traced, assessed, and isolated 21,898 probable and 11,652 confirmed cases within 24 hours. There were 86,228 close contacts that have been traced to those who tested positive of COVID-19,” he continued.
Lorenzana said that the NTF will also create a One Oxygen Command Center in regions throughout the country like what it did in Region IX.
“We will issue a policy wherein there will be a green lane in our ports so that oxygen supply will move fast to ensure a steady supply and to ensure continuous electricity supply in plants that make medical oxygen,” Lorenzana added.
Lorenzana also reported that medical professionals from the Armed Forces of the Philippines continue to be deployed to various LGUs in Metro Manila that need assistance.
On Monday, October 11, eight nurses were deployed to the Lung Center of the Philippines to attend to COVID 19 patients there for a month.