Mayor Jocelyn Castañeda appeals to the DOH. Photo by Ernie Esconde
MARIVELES, Bataan — Mayor Jocelyn Castañeda on Friday asked the Department of Health for more allocation of the vaccines against the coronavirus disease for her town being the most populated municipality in the province.
Also, the mayor thanked Octa Research for its concern to the municipality although she noticed some “bloated” data in its recent report placing Mariveles as among high-risk areas outside the National Capital Region.
Castañeda said that the report used by Octa that Mariveles has a whooping 218 Covid- 19 cases for a day was wrong when from July 5 to July 11, 2021, there were only 197 positive active cases.
She admitted, however, that there was indeed a spike in the number of confirmed cases so that companies whose workers were affected have conducted mass testing.
“We would like to take this opportunity because of the tag as high-risk area, that we be given priority by the national government, particularly by the Department of Health, in the vaccine allocation,” the mayor said.
Castañeda asked that the town be given allocation of vaccine supply separate from the province like in the case of Balanga City.
The DOH when delivering vaccines in Bataan has separate supply for the provincial health office and the Balanga City Health Office. What are given to PHO are shared among the 11 towns while the city has its own supply.
“Sana mapansin at mabigyan kami ng separate na allocation para mas mabilis naming ma-attain ang herd immunity dahil kung aasahan ang isinusupply from the national down to the province and then idi-distribute sa 11 municipalities, syempre medyo in a way dehado ang Mariveles dahil kami ang may pinakamalaking populasyon,” the mayor said.
She noted that Mariveles has a population of more than 149,749 that when compared to some towns with 30,000 people but given the same vaccine allocation, the small municipalities may have already attained herd immunity of 70 percent while Mariveles is only at 30 percent or less.
