MABALACAT PANDEMIC EFFORTS ON NATIONAL TV. Primetime news programs of two of the biggest television networks in the country featured Mabalacat City’s successful COVID-19 response and vaccination initiatives as contributory factors to the downward trend of COVID-19 cases in the city. The feature stories were simultaneously aired on November 18. (Screen captured from 24oras / TV Patrol livestream)
MABALACAT CITY— With no letup drive leading to zero new COVID-19 cases, this city’s efforts took centerstage as two national television networks turned the limelight to the local government’s campaign against the pandemic.
Mabalacat City’s successful COVID-19 response and vaccination initiatives were featured over two primetime newscasts, 24 Oras on GMA Network and TV Patrol on ABS-CBN. They were aired on November 18, 2021.
“Kasabay ng pagbaba ng kaso ng COVID-19 ang pagdami rin ng mga lugar sa bansa na wala nang naitatalang bagong kaso nito. Umabot nan nga yan sa mahigit sa 500 lungsod at bayan sa nakalipas na pitong araw,” said 24 Oras’ main anchor Mel Tiangco.
In his intro spiel, GMA7 news correspondent Oscar Oida observed the strict adherence of Mabalaqueños to government-mandated minimum public health standards.
“Lahat dito naka facemask naglalakad man sa kalsada o nakasakay sa pampublikong sasakyan. Hindi rin ganoon karami ang mga pakalat-kalat sa kalye at kung may mga nakakalimot sa mga health and safety protocols, agad nagpapaalala ang mga traffic enforcer. Ganyan dito sa Mabalacat City sa Pampanga,” Oida said.
Meanwhile, ABS-CBN’s TV Patrol headlined the four-day zero new infections of Mabalacat City. In an interview, City Information Officer Jay Pelayo IV attributed the downward trend of COVID-19 cases in the city to the ramped-up vaccination program of the local government under Mayor Crisostomo Garbo’s helm.
“Malaking epekto rin ang ating pagbabakuna. As a matter of fact, tayo po ay na-cite ng IATF (Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases) na pinakamataas na vaccination rate sa buong Central Luzon,” said Pelayo.
For his part, Mayor Garbo reminded each Mabalaqueño to not be complacent about the better pandemic situation in the city. “Hindi pa po tapos ang pandemya. While these reports come as good development in terms of the city’s COVID-19 response, I urge everyone to never let their guards down by continuously practicing the government-mandated health and safety protocols,” the city mayor said.
To date, the city government has achieved 96.06% first dose immunity and 78.68% full dose immunity of its 198,001 target population.
Data from the Mabalacat City COVID-19 Response Integrated System on November 18 shows that the city’s COVID-19 active cases plunged to 18 as additional two recoveries and no new cases and deaths were recorded. The infection rate in the city has also dived to 0.3%.
This is the fourth time that the city recorded zero new COVID-19 cases within a span of one week since the onset of the pandemic.
