The Secretary of the Department of Health (DS), Carlos Mellado López, today signed the administrative order 2021-493 in which they are integrated into the process of immunization against COVID19 in the food industry, the drug companies, medical equipment, the public transport sector, air transport and sea freight. This sector will be attended to in an orderly and coordinated manner by the Vaccination Program and will not be attended to in the vaccination centers.
Specifically, it will begin with those working in production, distribution, and exclusively employees in the supermarket sales chain. Within the food industry, it includes; farmers, poultry farmers, livestock beekeepers, supermarkets and food distributors.
“We continue to make rapid progress in the inoculation process, with the arrival of 100,000 vaccines a week we are expanding the sectors under phase 1B in which we find ourselves. These new groups will be coordinated specifically by the SD Vaccination Program, as long as we continue to serve the priority population who are those over 50 with chronic conditions and older adults over 60, these should continue to be cared for in the mass vaccination events we are bringing to the municipalities and vaccination centers of our providers “, the secretary expressed.
Mellado López stated that, “since February 2 we have been integrating phase 1B, giving priority to older adults, however, there are many groups under this phase that we have to attend to and we will be doing it little by little. That’s why “Today we are giving way to a priority group following the guidelines established by the CDC. This group in the food and medical equipment industry is estimated to reach 70,000 people.”
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The DS initiated talks with the Chamber of Marketing, Industry and Food Distribution (MIDA) to join efforts and make them part of the inoculation in its population group.
On the other hand, the medical staff of the universities belonging to the education sector that began in February will also be integrated. This effort will be carried out following an agreement with the Central University of the Caribbean in Bayamón; the School of Medicine, University of Puerto Rico, Enclosure River Stones, Enclosure of Mayaguez and Enclosure of Medical Sciences; St. John the Baptist School of Medicine; Ana G. Méndez, Gurabo; and the Inter-American University in its enclosures of Barranquitas and Guayama.
Likewise, the vaccination of the public transport, air transport and maritime cargo sector, also belonging to Phase 1B, began in a coordinated and orderly manner. The first to be vaccinated under this group were the carriers of the “Call and Travel” program, under the Metropolitan Bus Authority (AMA).
The Secretary of Health recalled that, “people over the age of 50 with chronic conditions and adults over the age of 60 can apply for their vaccination appointment through the portal www.protegetevacunate.com. The portal only requires a number of “Valid identification and year of birth. Once the system validates the information, where you can locate the different coordination centers to coordinate your appointment. The person will be able to select the center that suits him best.”