Negros Occidental allots P30M for COVID-19 vaccines

The provincial government of Negros Occidental has allocated PHP30 million for the procurement of COVID-19 vaccines, primarily for medical front-liners.

Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson confirmed that he has already signed a non-disclosure agreement with a pharmaceutical company as part of the negotiation process.

The P30 million budget will be sourced from the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management fund and is intended to supplement vaccine allocations from the national government.

Governor Lacson assured that no local government unit will be left behind in the national vaccine rollout, aiming for vaccination of health workers and vulnerable groups by the second quarter of the year.

The province is actively coordinating with Vaccine Czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. and provincial consultant Albee Benitez for vaccine acquisition.

Governor Lacson anticipates a potential increase in COVID-19 cases following the lifting of the ban on locally-stranded individuals (LSIs) starting January 2.

LSIs returning to Negros Occidental are required to undergo reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing upon arrival as part of the province's health protocols.

As of January 3, Negros Occidental had 152 active COVID-19 cases, a number that has been decreasing due to the previous moratorium on LSI arrivals.