TACLOBAN CITY- The mayor of Tanauan town here in Leyte is the latest elected official to acquire the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
Mayor Pelagio Tecson, Jr. confirmed that he was tested positive of the virus as he designated his vice mayor, Ronald Flores, to temporarily discharge the functions of the office while he is in isolation.
Tecson,53 and now serving on his last term as mayor, disclosed of his current health situation through a post at the Facebook account of the municipal government on Tuesday (Jan.26).
“My dear Tanauanons, I would like you to know that I have been tested positive for COVID-19. I have manifested symptoms over the past few days. All close contacts have been identified already and will undergo testing by today (Tuesday),” he said.
The town mayor, however, did not say how he possibly acquired the virus except to say that everyone could get it.
“Upon reflection, this only shows that this pandemic is still around us. There will always be occasions where it can hit us,” he said.
Tecson said that it is now more than ever that the residents should be mindful against the virus by strictly following all the health protocols especially that the new variant of COVID-19 has been confirmed to exist in the country.
“I appeal that you heed this call,” he said.
Tecson’s media affairs consultant, Roy Moraleta, said that Tanauan is the first local government unit in Leyte to come up measures like setting up quarantine facilities and providing food aids during the quarantine period, and livelihood assistance to the people.
Tecson is the sixth mayor in the region to have acquired COVID-19.
One of them, Manuel Aoyang of Palapag town in Northern Samar, died on Nov.6 last year.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA/JOEY A. GABIETA)

TACLOBAN CITY – Leyte Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla has directed health officers in the province to come up with their survey forms intended for the vaccination against coronavirus disease (COVID-19) here.
Petilla also said that he projects that at least 100,000 people of the province will receive the vaccine. With the exception of Tacloban City, a highly-urbanized city, Leyte has more than 1.7 million populations.
The governor said that the survey form is necessary so that they could identified those who should first receive the shots.
Petilla noted that while all the 40 towns and Baybay City have confirmed COVID-19 cases, there are villages in the province which remain without any case.
He suggested that the home address and the place of work of the individual should be included in the survey form.
“If this person lives in a village that had never recorded any COVIDd-19 cases and work in a place which also have no cases, maybe we can exclude them on the list of our priority for vaccination,” Petilla explained.
Petilla added that the prioritization will also depends of what kind of vaccine the province will procure noting that there are vaccines which are not suitable for those 16 years and below, senior citizens who are 85-year old and above, pregnant women, and those with comorbidities.
“This is voluntary. We cannot coerce them to be vaccinated but the mayors may talk to them and explain the importance of getting vaccinated,” he said.
The governor added that from his earlier announcement of procuring 20,000 thousand to 30,000 doses of vaccines, he had order the provincial accountant and the provincial budget officer to look for funds so that the province could increase the number of vaccines to be procured.

The governor said that the new target of the province is to vaccinate around 100,000 residents which means they need to procure 200,000 vaccines for two doses.
With this number, the province will be needing more than 60 million, he said. (ROEL T. AMAZONA)