Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella. CDN Digital Photo | Morexette Marie Erram
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu City will procure at least P100 million worth of AstraZeneca and Cocovax vaccine against the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Mayor Edgardo Labella said he already sent letters of intent to purchase to the two companies in hopes to secure doses for the city residents.
The City Council has approved the two vaccines from the United Kingdom (AstraZeneca) and India (Cocovax) for the P400 million budget allocated for the COVID-19 vaccines.
“Ato nang gipadala sa duha, AstraZeneca and Cocovax. As early as January pa, nakapadala na tag letter of intent sa Cocovax. Karon ang Astrazeneca nagsige na atong negotiations sa vaccine board,” said Labella on March 5, 2021.
Labella said the first purchase would only be worth P100 million because they do not know how many doses the national government will allocate for Cebu City.
At least 7,200 doses of Sinovac have already arrived in Cebu for the medical frontliners on March 2, 2021, and the inoculations continue at the hospitals.
Labella hopes that with the arrival of more vaccines such as AstraZeneca from the government allocations, more frontliners will be vaccinated.
Since AstraZeneca has also arrived in the country and Cebu expects some allocations, Labella said he is willing to be inoculated if given clearance from the Department of Health (DOH).
Labella said he could not be inoculated with Sinovac because he is older than the recommended upper limit of 59 years old, but maybe allowed to receive AstraZeneca, which does not have an age limit.
His age is also the reason why Labella remains to work at home as he said there are COVID-19 cases at the City Hall, which he cannot ignore. He is still recuperating from an ear infection.
The mayor ordered a half-day work at the City Hall on Friday so the buildings and offices can be disinfected until the weekend.
“Dunay gyod positive sa OBO (Office of the Building Official), Engineering, Accounting, naa sad sa Sangguniang Panglungsod. So, I instructed Attorney Casas to immediately, for today, issue a memorandum nga half-day una ang atong buhatan diha sa City Hall. There should be massive disinfection,” he said.
Labella said he will start working in his office again next week after the disinfection is completed. /rcg