The Coordinated Operations to Defeat Epidemic (C.O.D.E.) Team and Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) met with Davao City officials last Tuesday, February 16, 2021 to discuss the city’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout readiness.
Among the matters tackled were the Local Situation Report on COVID-19, National Action Plan (NAP) Against COVID-19 Phase III and the National Deployment and Vaccination Plan. The team operates under the National Task Force (NTF) Against COVID-19.
Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles, IATF-EID Co-Chair, thanked local officials led by Mayor Sara Duterte for their quick implementation of measures to control the spread of the virus, citing likewise the Mayor’s personal coordination with constituents on urgent health matters.
“Mayor Sara, undoubtedly, has excellent management skills. She showed these fully in the handling of COVID-19 in Davao. Core concerns are being meticulously addressed, solutions and interventions are being quickly implemented. Davao is a source of best practices for COVID-19 treatment,” the Malacañang official said.
The former Davao congressman likewise expressed confidence that the vaccine rollout in the city would be smooth, noting regular simulation exercises have been conducted and proper coordination with the DOH regularly made to ensure the success of the vaccination campaign at pre-determined sites.
The CODE Team had previously visited major urban centers, while schedules are already set for visits in other areas in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.
Nograles emphasized the importance of close coordination with LGUs nationwide “to ensure a comprehensive implementation of the Duterte administration’s vaccination campaign. Failure isn’t an option. We are on track with our massive vaccination program in 2021.”
