Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson called on Negrenses anew to welcome 2022 by getting vaccinated, amid the surge of COVID-19 cases the past several days in the National Capital Region.
“The road we took last year was rough, yet, we are not without hope. To all my beloved Negrenses, let us welcome 2022 by getting vaccinated,” Lacson said in his New Year’s message.
Negros Occidental logged a steady decline of COVID cases, with 170 as of Jan. 1, compared to the four-digit number of fresh infections in Metro Manila, the Provincial Incident Management Team said.
“By God’s grace, we hope that we are on the last stretch of this difficult path, as we try to reach herd immunity,” Lacson said.
Provincial Health Officer, Dr. Ernell Tumimbang, earlier expressed optimism that Negros Occidental will achieve herd immunity against COVID-19 by January.
“If not for typhoon Odette, the provincial government might have reached the 70 percent herd immunity in December,” he added.
To achieve herd immunity, at least 1.8 million Negrenses need to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
Tumimbang reported that 1,101,979 have already been vaccinated, equivalent to 60.37 percent, and 426,429 more, or 23.36 percent, due for second dose. |GB
