BACOLOD CITY - The Negros Occidental provincial government will intensify its coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccination efforts anew as activities related to the May 9 elections come to a close. Dr. Claudelia Josefa Pabillo, in-charge of the Provincial Health Office cold storage facility, said on Tuesday the province still has a sufficient supply of vaccines, but the concern is still hesitancy among certain groups, especially the senior citizens. Data showed the coverage rate among the province's elderly population is only more than 50 percent. Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said local government units (LGUs) will be reminded to again focus on their Covid-19 vaccination campaign. "We will start doing that again especially (in LGUs) where there is very low performance," he said. "We're already encouraging booster shots. It's not yet over, we still have to do a lot of vaccination. I hope it will improve. Anyway, the campaign period, the election period is over," Lacson added. In a previous interview, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz II said the low vaccination coverage rate among the Negrense elderly is the reason Negros Occidental cannot yet be deescalated to Alert Level 1, the lowest category in the country's Covid-19 alert level system. In Negros Occidental, seven LGUs have been placed under Alert Level 1 until May 31 by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, while the rest of the province is still under Alert Level 2. "We will try to increase the number of LGUs under Alert Level 1," Lacson said. (PNA) }