MANILA Mayor and presidential aspirant Isko Moreno yesterday said the city government is considering using the Manila Zoo as a COVID-19 vaccination site for seniors and minors, in line with the government’s plan to proceed with the inoculation of minors aged 5 to 11 starting next month.
“Open air, clear. Double purpose, as they can also go take their grandchildren and grandparents on a tour,” Moreno said, adding the vaccination at the site, now renamed as the Manila Zoological and Botanical Garden, will be open to Manila residents and non-residents alike.
He said only 500 to 1,000 people will be accommodated at the site to ensure physical distancing and prevent overcrowding.
Meanwhile, the National Task Force against the coronavirus disease has started talking anew with private pharmacies and drugstores so they can be tapped to administer vaccines against COVID-19 amid the increasing cases.
Task force adviser Dr. Ted Herbosa, in a radio interview, said the NTF met with the private pharmacies and drugstores last week and will be holding a trial run soon.
The government has long been talking about tapping pharmacies and drugstores to administer the COVID-19 vaccines to ramp up the inoculation drive, especially in far-flung areas.
Herbosa also urged those queuing at vaccine centers, especially seniors, to be more patient given the current limitation in vaccinators, saying some of them have been reverted to hospitals to care for those infected by the virus.
He said many healthcare workers, including those fully vaccinated, have contracted COVID-19.
Aside from the strict observance of health protocols, Moreno said another measure to prevent overcrowding in the area is to require those who want to get the COVID-19 jab to register online.
“We will launch the Manila Zoo website so that those who want to get vaccinated can register,” he added.
The city government held a soft opening of the redeveloped Manila Zoo last December 30.
The city health department reported 689 new COVID-19 cases yesterday, bringing to 3,480 the active cases in Manila. One new death was also reported, bringing the toll to 1,793, and 923 new recoveries.
Herbosa said at the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) alone, where he is affiliated, there are around 900 health workers who have been infected or exposed to the virus. Due to the shortened isolation days, around 90 to 93 were able to return to work.
NTF Chief Implementer and vaccine czar Carlito Galvez said there should be no let-up in the vaccination campaign, especially now that the country is battling its worst surge yet.
Galvez asked all local government units anew to continue strengthening their vaccination strategies to vaccinate as many Filipinos as soon as possible.
“This current Omicron surge will target the unvaccinated… Let us prioritize the unvaccinated individuals who belong to the vulnerable sectors, while also ramping up the administration of booster shots for eligible individuals,” he said.
He earlier said that around three million senior citizens who remain unvaccinated should be prioritized in the vaccination program as they are more prone to hospitalization and death. — With Jocelyn Montemayor
