Bacolod City – The City of Bacolod logged a record number of vaccinations in a day at 12,016 last Monday.

Mayor Evelio Leonardia said the number included vaccinations in shopping malls, barangays, and establishments.

"That more and more are now willing to be inoculated is heartening," the mayor added.

But Leonardia noted that this development also posed big challenges, citing the surge in crowds in the vaccination centers.

On July 26, vaccinees flocked to the shopping malls, which disregarded safe distancing protocols amid the pandemic.

The delay in the arrival of additional Sinovac vaccines for the residents, who were supposed to have their second doses of the said vaccine since last week, could be a contributing factor in the influx of crowds, as well as the walk-ins who wanted to avail of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, according to the EOC.

The Emergency Operations Center (EOC), in an emergency meeting on Monday night, assessed the situation and decided to revert to the "no walk-in" policy, beginning July 27. Thus, only registered and pre-arranged vaccinees will be accommodated meanwhile.

Leonardia appealed for the understanding of all concerned as the City will continue to exert all efforts to vaccinate as many as possible as the vaccines come.
(Glazyl Masculino via The Daily Guardian (TDG), photo courtesy of TDG)