DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 21 – Twenty-four health workers assigned at the People’s Park vaccination site tested positive for COVID-19, prompting the local government to shut down the area for a three-day decontamination starting Friday until Sunday.
Dr. Michelle Schlosser, spokesperson for the Davao City COVID-19 Task Force, said during her program “Bika Bakunado” over Davao City Disaster Radio (87.5) Friday that operations at the park, considered one of the biggest vaccination sites here, will resume on Monday.
She assured the public that personnel who will be assigned there are cleared of COVID-19 and do not manifest symptoms of the infection to ensure the safety of the vaccinees.
The park, a one-stop hub that has a drive-through vaccination for senior citizens and designated areas for walk-ins and pediatrics, can cater up to 3,000 individuals daily.
“It saddens us that we have to close it starting today but we have to prioritize cleaning it up to make sure that it’s not dangerous for the people. Rest assured, after decontamination, health care workers to be deployed there are RT PCR (reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction)-negative,” Schlosser said.
The city government reported that as of Jan. 18, 1,276,123 individuals had received the first dose, 1,216,990 were fully vaccinated, and 136,526 had received booster shots.
According to the city government website, the city has 25 operational vaccination sites as of January 15.
The Department of Health-Davao reported 1,020 new cases on Thursday, bringing the total cases to 59,000 with 4,578 active, 52,613 recoveries, and 1,809 deaths.
The agency also confirmed five Omicron cases in Davao Region, three of whom are returning overseas Filipinos and two are local cases.
In a press release issued by the city government, Schlosser said they are targeting to administer 24,000 to 27,000 booster shots daily amid the threat of COVID-19. (Antonio L. Colina IV/MindaNews)