A fifth vaccination site here will begin operations soon as the local government partners with a shopping mall to speed up the drive for population protection.

The management of SM City Uptown in Carmen town will cater mostly to residents from hinterland villages.

A simulation exercise will be held Friday, Mayor Oscar Moreno said.

The city has four vaccination sites in malls — SM Downtown Premier, Limketkai Center Robinsons, and Centrio Ayala Mall.

“We thank them for making available their malls for our vaccination sites,” Moreno said during his Facebook Live talk on Thursday.

Moreno said they plan to administer as many as 5,000 doses per day but they can only average 1,000 for now because of the limited supply.

Also on Thursday, Department of Health-Region 10 received 32,000 doses of Sinovac, with 15,000 doses to be allocated here.

The new delivery will be deployed next week while remaining Sputnik V jabs will be used up until Sunday.

As of June 30, the City Health Office (CHO) has inoculated 63,261, with 12,071 already fully vaccinated.

The city government is catering to health care workers, senior citizens, and adults with comorbidities.

CHO resident epidemiologist, Dr. Teodulfo Joselito Retuya, said the city still has 1,069 active Covid-19 cases. (PNA)