The provincial government of Negros Occidental is eyeing to establish vaccination centers in tourism facilities, as part of efforts to further increase the number of vaccinated individuals in the province.
Provincial Inter-Agency Task Force action officer, Rayfrando Diaz, announced yesterday that they are opening up a vaccination center at the Magikland theme park in Silay City.
Diaz said they are open for partnership with any tourism facility, adding that the province is ready to provide the medical front liners and the vaccines.
Members of the Provincial Incident Management Team and the Provincial Health Office staff, led by Dr. Ernell Tumimbang, went to Magikland Nov. 17 after the park management expressed willingness to give free tickets to vaccinated minors 12 to 17 years old. The promo is initially open to Silay City residents, Friday to Sunday, Diaz said.
For the unvaccinated minors who will be accompanied by their parents, Diaz said they may avail of inoculation at the vaccination center to be set up at the theme park.
“It’s going to be a vaccinated-tourism program with Magikland,” he added.
Diaz said they are also open for partnership with Campuestohan Highland Resort in Talisay City, and other tourism facilities in the province, to increase the vaccination output.
The provincial government is targeting to achieve herd immunity against COVID-19 by February next year, and it is intensifying efforts to vaccinate the 1.4 million Negrenses before the self-imposed deadline.
Diaz also reported that Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific fly an average of 200 passengers to Negros Occidental a day.
Only unvaccinated travellers are required to present negative RT-PCR results.
Diaz said they will put up scanners at the Bacolod-Silay Airport for the S-PaSS because the PHO personnel assigned there are needed to augment the vaccination teams deployed to local government units with low inoculation performance.
“Depending on the alert level, we can sustain the daily flights until next month,” he added.
