THE Province of Guimaras has ramped up its Covid-19 vaccination drive, as it now focuses on barangays in the island province.

The Provincial Government of Guimaras has deployed teams of health workers to barangays aside from the vaccination conducted in different vaccination sites put up in the province.

Governor Samuel Gumarin said the initiative aims to inoculate more Guimarasnons against the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).

"This is a race against time. Kinahanglan doblehon naton ang aton paghimakas nga madamo nga pumuluyo naton ang mabakunahan para malab-ot naton ang herd immunity. We have to double time that is why dal-on naton mismo ang bakuna sa mga kabarangayan," Gumarin said.

Guimaras has one of the lowest vaccination rate among the provinces in Western Visayas.

Gumarin said that because of the low turnout of Covid-19 vaccination in the province, the Provincial Government has repositioned its resources, expanding the vaccination activities to the barangays.

The mobile vaccination drive began on October 20, 2021 in the Municipality of San Lorenzo with 192 residents from Barangays Tamborong, Gaban and Aguilar who received a jab of Covid-19 vaccine.

A total of 612 individuals from the villages of Suclaran and San Enrique in San Lorenzo town, Barangays Sto. Rosario, Old Poblacion, Daragan, Montpiller and Rizal in the Municipality of Buenavista were inoculated on October 21, 2021.

The mobile vaccination team was then deployed to Sapal and Constancia in San Lorenzo; and Bacjao, Getulio, Navalas and San Miguel in Buenavista where 684 residents got their first dose of Covid-19 vaccine.

The Provincial Government has set a daily target of 3,378 residents to be vaccinated to achieve the herd immunity by December 15, 2021.

As of October 21, Guimaras has completely vaccinated 31,313 or 16.74 percent of its population against Covid-19. (PR)