Mayor mulls ‘no vaccination, no work’ policy in Iloilo City

Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas is mulling to issue an executive order (EO) mandating the “no vaccination, no work” policy.

The EO will only allow persons who underwent full Covid-19 vaccination to work in the city.

According to Treñas, the vaccines ordered by the Iloilo City government will not serve its purpose if the vaccination will not become a requirement especially for those working in Iloilo City.

“Ginalantaw ta ang posibilidad nga ang mga tawo nga may full vaccination kag ang tapos na vaccination ang pwede lang kaubra. We will make sure ang gaulubra diri sa syudad na immunize na kay wala man pulos ang aton gin-order nga vaccines kon indi paghimuon nga requirement ang vaccines,” he said in an interview in a local radio station on Friday.

The mayor said the proposed EO is currently under study at the City Legal Office (CLO).

The vaccine pre-registration initiated by the Iloilo City government among barangays in the metro revealed a low confidence in getting vaccination.

Based on the Covid-19 Vaccine Consent Form gathered by the Iloilo City government, only 29% or 2,868 agreed to get vaccinated while 6,863, or 71%, refused to have themselves vaccinated.

The low turn-out of Ilonggos volunteering to get vaccinated prompted the Iloilo City government to launch its vaccine campaign, “Bato Iloilo! Mapabakuna ako!” in its bid to encourage more Ilonggos to avail of the free vaccines.

Treñas has also announced that he is willing to take the first shot of the Covid-19 vaccine to ensure Ilonggos that the vaccines are safe and effective.

“By getting vaccinated, you are not only protecting yourselves but the people around you especially your family and those who have high-risk of contracting the virus. Our vaccines underwent clinical trials and are safe and effective,” he said.

The mayor said the vaccination plan of the city was February 19, 2021 to the Department of Health (DOH) for suggestions and recommendations.

Meanwhile, Treñas confirmed that he already signed the voucher for the advance payment of the 600,000 Covid-19 vaccines that will cover at least 60 percent of the city’s population.

The mayor said he signed the papers after Pres. Rodrigo Duterte allowed local government units to make advance payments of more than 15% of the contract price of the vaccines.

The city hall will send the payment next week and the vaccines from AstraZeneca are expected to be delivered in July 2021. (ERS)