Zamboanga intensifies house-to-house COVID-19 jabs

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines – The city health office (CHO) has intensified its house-to-house vaccination against COVID as cases increase again.

The CHO said it aims to vaccinate more children aged 5 to 17 and give booster shots to adults.

Dr. Dulce Amor Miravite, CHO chief, said vaccination sites in barangay health centers would remain open.

Active cases in the city rose to 298 after 45 new cases were reported on Aug. 9. It represents a 19 percent increase in positivity rate compared to 78 cases during the same period last year.

Six deaths were recorded from July 20 to Aug. 8, bringing the total number of fatalities in the city to 1,263, the highest in Zamboanga peninsula.

Healthcare utilization rate was at 22.3 percent.

The city government requires vaccination cards for tourists and customers visiting the night market, which was reopened on Monday.

The night market, which was closed in the past two years due to the COVID pandemic, is part of the activities for the celebration of the Hermosa Festival next month.