BJMP and inmates included in city’s Covid-19 vaccination program

True to his promise of inclusivity in the metro, Mayor Jerry Treñas assured that personnel of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) including the persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) in Iloilo City will also be vaccinated with Covid-19 vaccines.

Treñas said BJMP personnel and inmates are included in the city’s inclusive vaccination program as part of its goal to immunize both the residents and non-residents in the metro.

“The Iloilo City government will vaccinate all BJMP personnel and PDLs as part of our goal to immunize both the residents and non-residents staying in Iloilo City,” he said in his Facebook page.

Treñas recalled the spike of Covid-19 cases recorded among the BJMP and the PDLs in Iloilo City last year. Hence, there is a need for vaccines to prevent the same incident from happening again.

“We will be providing them with vaccines once it is available. They have submitted their list of beneficiaries, he added.

Iloilo City has already signed the multilateral agreement for the advance purchase of AstraZeneca vaccines for the 600,000 doses of the vaccines.

The mayor has initially announced that the medical frontliners, City Hall employees, barangay officials, senior citizens, and persons with co-morbidities will be prioritized by the city’s vaccination program.

Treñas also expressed willingness to purchase from US-based biotechnology company Novavax who developed another Covid-19 vaccine, Covovax including vaccines from another American company, Pfizer for employees working in the city but are from other provinces.

Recently, he revealed that the city is also eyeing another purchase deal of additional Covid-19 vaccine with America’s multinational company, Johnson & Johnson.

Meanwhile, the daily Covid-19 rate in Iloilo City is up by 67% in February 2021 compared to January, based on the data from the Iloilo City Covid-19 Emergency Operations Center.

From February 1 to February 11 this year, the daily Covid-19 rate in the metro is at 10 cases. This is 66.67 percent higher compared to the same period in January which is only averaging at 6 cases per day.

Meanwhile, the city logged 111 total cases from February 1 – 11 which is also 73.44% higher compared to the only 64 cases recorded in the metro in January.

Iloilo City recorded the highest number of Covid-19 cases in a day last February 4 with 18 new cases followed by February 3 with 15 cases and February 2 with 12 new cases.

Currently, the city is monitoring 85 active cases excluding the patients admitted in the city hospitals.

A total of 55 positive patients are currently staying in the city’s identified quarantine facilities; eight are billeted in the hotels while 36 are undergoing strict home quarantine. (ERS)