‘Do not let our guard down as we prepare for COVAX rollout- RTF chair
By Carlito C. Dar
BAGUIO CITY, Feb. 24 (PIA) – – As the National Vaccination and Deployment Program rolls out soon to strengthen the country’s fight against the Coronavirus disease, the public should not put their guard down and continue with the PDITR or Prevent, Detect, Isolate, Treat and Reintegrate strategy.
This is the guidance Regional Task Force COVID – 19 chairperson Office of Civil Defense- Cordillera Regional Director Albert Mogol to partner- regional line agencies, local government units and community stakeholders during the Cordillera Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council and RTF joint virtual coordination meeting on Tuesday.
Mogol said the Department of Health – Cordillera is leading the way for the vaccination rollout in the region. He called for active (IEC) information, education and communication campaign so altogether ‘we can convince the perception of the general population towards the effectiveness of vaccines and its importance in the fight against COVID – 19.’
He also encouraged LGUs to intensify community testing and contact tracing, and to take advantage of the aggressive community testing that is being offered free by the National Task Force through the Bases Conversion Development Authority.
In the said meeting, DOH -Cordillera Medical Officer IV Dr. Jennifer Joyce Pira reported an improving COVID – 19 situations in the region with the epidemic level down to “low risk”.
Abra, Apayao, Benguet, Ifugao and Mountain Province, including Baguio City are under low risk, while Kalinga is under moderate risk epidemic level, she said.
The NTF has raised the community quarantine status of Cordillera from modified General Community Quarantine to GCQ from February 1 – 28 as the region reached high risk epidemic level during the first month of the 2021.
As of the February 22 data of DOH – CAR, Cordillera has a total of 14,031 total confirmed cases wherein 911 are active cases, 12,913 or 92.03 percent already recovered and 202 recorded deaths for a case fatality rate of 1.44%.
Pira also reported that Cordillera is also under low risk, in terms of Critical Care Utilization Rate, with ward beds utilization at 52.18 %; isolation beds utilization at 40.16; ICU beds occupancy at 26.08% , and mechanical vent utilization at 35.89%.
For the coordination meeting, RTF member agencies and provincial LGUs also provided updates on their respective response actions in helping the COVID – 19 affected community and population in Cordillera.
“Let us just continue what we are doing as we are nearing to reach victory in this fight. We fight as one, we heal and recover as one”, he said. (JDP/CCD-PIA CAR)
