SILAY City Mayor Mark Andrew Arthur Golez Thursday, October 7, 2021, urged anew Silaynons to get vaccinated as soon as possible to avoid getting infected by coronavirus disease (Covid-19).
A Covid-19 survivor, Golez advised those who have not yet been vaccinated to get the jab to save lives.
Patients queue to get admission in the hospital, and no amount of money or influence can ensure their access to the medical facilities due to a higher number of those who got confined ahead.
Seeing this, the mayor is doubling the government's effort to have its residents get vaccinated.
Silay City now has 5,000 Pfizer vaccines, and they target 1,000 vaccinees per day.
"Healthcare is my primary advocacy now in partnership with the barangays through their health workers so that they could help encourage those who have not yet vaccinated to undergo vaccination," he said.
He added that the Silay City Government had utilized the Silay Yolanda Housing Facility as a quarantine center that caters to Silaynons and Negrenses infected by the virus.
There are more than 500 housing units catering to the needs of the city and province mainly for isolation and quarantine purposes.
The City Government, he said, is collaborating with the Office of Third District Representative Jose Francisco "Kiko" Benitez and Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson.
Golez further proposes to make the quarantine center as a makeshift hospital so that health services can be expanded.
Benitez said they are working closely with the province to conduct massive antigen testing for the Negrenses. In 15 to 20 minutes, the test result is out, he said.
The Negrense lawmaker said this could help the government determine the transmission pathway, considering that the new variants are infecting the people too fast.
Vice Mayor Thomas Maynard Ledesma, for his part, underscored that the Sangguniang Panlungsod of Silay was the first city council in the province to legislate a Covid-19 Ordinance.
In fact, some local government units in Negros Occidental have used it as a template in making their respective local legislation concerning Covid-19, he said.
"We in the city council, are bound not to delay passing of measures that are necessary for our people. We never had experience a lack of quorum during our session schedules,” Ledesma said.
The official added that “we also continue to evolve as things evolve with the entry of the Covid-19 pandemic. We are all first-timers in dealing with the pandemic, but we are ready to face more challenges. Unity and and healthy working relationship will be the key to our success in government service.”