IPHO chief Dr. Alinader Minalang stressed that vaccination remains the most important strategy to beat the pandemic. (Micheal John Paclar / PIA Lanao del Sur)
MARAWI CITY, Lanao del Sur—The Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO) on Tuesday said the number of active coronavirus disease (Covid)-19 cases in Lanao del Sur have declined amid the loosening of restrictions in the province.
In a command conference and orientation on Bayanihan Bakunahan, IPHO chief Dr. Alinader Minalang said active cases are down to 12 as of November 23 and no new positive case was recorded for two consecutive days already. Moreover, COVID-19 wards utilization is down to 1% while ICU utilization is at 20% which he considered a safe zone.
But Minalang warned that cases may go up again if the public will let their guards down and become complacent in observing health protocols.
As such, Minalang reminded anew the public to continue observing the minimum public health protocols like wearing face masks, washing of hands, and physical distancing as well as avoiding the 3Cs settings (closed spaces, crowded places, and close-contact) to sustain the situation and avoid the reoccurrence of a surge.
The IPHO chief also emphasized that vaccination remains the most important strategy to beat the pandemic.
“Kailangan natin ipagpatuloy ang mga bagay na ito in order for us to go back to normalcy. Continue observing the minimum public health standards dahil nandiyan pa ang virus, avoid the 3Cs, at pinakaimportante ngayon ay yung ating Covid-19 vaccination,” he said.
[We need to continue these things in order for us to go back to normalcy. Continue observing the minimum public health standards because the virus is still there, avoid the 3Cs, and most the most important now is our Covid-19 vaccination.]
Minalang said vaccination will prevent the severity of the patient’s condition in case one gets infected. It will also help in opening the economy
“Kailangan ang Covid vaccine para maopen natin ang ekonomiya natin. Hindi pwedeng meron mainfect then later on maglalockdown na naman tayo, mamamatay na naman ekonomiya natin. Maraming mga business ang nagclose, nagshut down, na bankrupt dahil wala ng customer. So kailangan natin itong bakuna para makabalik tayo sa ating normal na pamumuhay,” he further said.
[We need the Covid vaccine to open up our economy. We can't have someone get infected then later on we will lockdown again, our economy will die again. Many businesses have closed down, shut down, go bankrupt because there are no customers. So we need this vaccine so we can return to our normal lives.]
According to him, Lanao del Sur targets to vaccinate almost 700,000 of its population but so far only 123,162 doses were administered and 60,250 persons or 9% of the target were fully vaccinated.
“Ibig sabihin nito, hindi pa tayo safe. Pangalawa maraming pwedeng mamatay kung magkaroon ng another wave of Covid infection. Hindi tayo protektado. Pangatlo, hindi tayo pwede mag-open ng economy because we are not vaccinated, we cannot go back to face-to-face classes dahil hindi tayo protektado,” he added.
[This means that we are not safe yet. Second, many may die if we will have another wave of Covid infection. We are not protected. Third, we cannot open the economy because we are not vaccinated, we cannot go back to face-to-face classes because we are not protected.]
With this, Minalang urged unvaccinated residents of the province to get inoculated against Covid-19 during the Bayanihan Bakunahan from November 29 to December 1, 2021.
For the three-day national vaccination drive, the province aims to inoculate 300,000 persons.
To reach that, Minalang said Lanao del Sur residents should work together and help each other for the safety and protection of the vulnerable like senior citizens, the sick, and the children, as well as for economic recovery. (APB/PIA Lanao del Sur)
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