The two new fatalities from the COVID-19 pandemic in Catanduanes were both from Bato town and reportedly did not get vaccinated against the virus.
A reliable source told the Tribune last week that the first to succumb to the complications arising from the infection, a 74-year-old woman, was admitted to the Bato Maternity and Children’s Hospital on July 30, 2022 and was swabbed on Aug. 1.
The following day, she tested positive along with 20 other new cases in the province. She was symptomatic but had no history of travel, with her exposure still to be established, according to the Provincial Health Office’s COVID-19 Tracker on said date.
The woman was discharged from the hospital on Aug. 6 but died the following day in her house.
On Aug. 10, another COVID-19 patient from Bato, a 93-year-old individual, was also unvaccinated.
While the official tracker has yet to count this latest death, this would bring the death toll of Catanduanes from the pandemic to 134.
Meanwhile, 28 new cases were recorded in the province during Morbidity Week 32 (Aug. 7 to 13), which is less than half the 59 new cases during MW 31 (July 31 to Aug. 6).
The new cases came from Gigmoto (10), Virac (8), Bato (5), Baras (2), Caramoran (2) and Pandan (1).
The total for the first two weeks of August, however, is already 87% of the 108 recorded for the whole month of July, with the dire development coinciding with the start of the enrolment period for the face-to-face classes that involves a more active movement of people from the other 10 towns to the capital town of Virac.
Yesterday, Aug. 16, the provincial government of Catanduanes officially launched the nationwide PinasLakas booster vaccination campaign that aims to increase the number of Filipinos who have been given a COVID-19 booster shot.
At the launching and commitment ceremony held in the morning at the Catanduanes Convention Center, 1st booster shots were given to 12-year-olds and above while those 12 to 49 years old with comorbidities and 50-year-olds and above were given their 2nd booster dose.
The PinasLakas campaign will be expanded to include schools, malls, plazas, and places of worship where people can walk-in to get their must-needed COVID-19 booster shot.
A total of 15,210 Pfizer doses for adults and 700 doses for 12 to 17-year-olds arrived last Aug. 11.
According to the latest vaccination statistics for Catanduanes as of July 26, 2022, 101% (225,595 individuals) of the target population of 223,484 have received the first dose of the vaccine but only 84% of target population, or 188,582, chose to get jabbed with the second dose.
Those who got their second doses represent only 68% of the total estimated population of 277,033.
On the other hand, the accomplishment in the two booster doses is lagging, with only 39,510 belonging to the 18-year-old-and-above bracket receiving their 1st booster dose and just 2,044 getting their 2nd booster dose.
Among the 12-17-year-old age bracket, only 1,263 have so far gotten jabbed with their 1st booster dose.