- MITCH M. LIPA
Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said he is highly convinced to get inoculated with the Sinovac’s CoronaVac vaccine and is waiting for instructions from Dr. Ernell Tumimbang, provincial health officer, on when he can get his first shot.
Lacson said he is waiting on when the vaccine will be available because as a senior citizen, he is included in the priority list to get vaccinated.
He said that after knowing that the Sinovac vaccine is also good for 60 years old and above, he prefers to take it because of the shorter period needed to complete the two doses.
The two doses of Sinovac vaccine can be taken in three weeks’ time, while completing the dose requirement for other brands can take about two months.
Lacson said he wants to take the shot together with other senior citizens to show the importance of getting vaccinated against the coronavirus disease 2019.
He also said that the number of COVID-19 cases has been slowly decreasing the past days. For the last two days, Negros Occidental still logged cases in triple digits, but in the lower hundreds unlike the more than 200 cases per day.
The Department of Health, in a press conference Monday, said it is classifying Negros Occidental as a high risk area because of the daily positive cases.
Lacson said he hopes that the National Inter-Agency Task Force will change its decision and grant the request of local officials to place Negros Occidental under the general community quarantine status. – MML
