The Covid-19 Vaccination Council (CoVaC) here starting on Tuesday will no longer allow walk-in vaccinees in inoculation centers inside the three major shopping malls to avoid crowds and ensure the orderly administration of jabs for various priority sectors.

This was announced on Monday by City Administrator Em Ang, who also sits as executive director of the Emergency Operations Center-Task Force and coordinator of CoVac, after residents continue to crowd, apparently disregarding physical distancing while lining up in long queues both inside and outside the malls.

“Beginning tomorrow, we regret that we will not be able to cater to walk-ins anymore,” Ang said in a statement.

She added that by noon on Monday, the vaccination centers at Ayala Malls Capitol Central, Robinsons Place Bacolod, and SMX Convention Center Bacolod have already reached the maximum number of vaccinees for the day.

For Johnson & Johnson’s (J&J) single-dose Janssen, Ayala Malls accommodated 1,000 individuals while Robinsons Place and SMX, 500 each.

“We urge the public to wait to be notified of their schedule through text by the Vaccination Team,” Ang said.

Free Covid-19 vaccines will continue to be available in barangay and school cluster vaccination centers, based on the schedule announced by the city government daily.

Currently, the city government is accommodating A1 (healthcare workers/front-liners), A2 (senior citizens), A3 (persons with comorbidities), and A5 (indigent population).

In a video statement on Monday, Mayor Evelio Leonardia said that more than 100,000 Bacolodnons have already been inoculated against Covid-19, of which around 30,000 are considered fully vaccinated.

“This is good news. These are impressive figures. We know we will not stop at this. We will continue this, we will fast-track this so we can vaccinate more people, the better,” he added.

Leonardia appealed to Bacolodnons who line up in vaccination centers to observe minimum health protocols.

“At all times, practice social distancing, use face mask and face shield, the basic should be to follow health protocols,” he said.

Leonardia also said that he has requested the Bacolod City Police Office to assist in vaccination centers to ensure that the people follow the minimum health protocols.(PNA)