BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson called on Negrenses to “pray hard” the worst won’t happen as local transmission of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) continue to spike.
“Negros will pray hard that it won’t happen,” the governor said yesterday.
Lacson’s appeal was in reaction to the report of the Department of Health in Western Visayas last week, ci ting increase of clustering of COVID-19 positive cases in 25 barangays in the region.
In Negros Occidental, DOH data showed that there are three barangays with clustering of cases.
These clusters were confirmed in Barangay Lag-asan, Bago City (two cases); Barangay 6, San Carlos City (two cases); Avida Village, Talisay City (two cases).
The capital city of Bacolod also topped the region with the most number of barangays with local transmissions, latest data from the DOH showed.
Bacolod has the highest number with 16 villages registering clustering of positive cases, the Department of Health-Center for Health Development Western Visayas (DOH-CHD 6).
Clustering of cases indicate that there are two or more cases recorded in the area in the last 14 days, Dr. Renilyn Reyes, head of the Public Health Program Development of DOH-CHD 6, said.
Reyes said the trend of Covid-19 cases in the region is constantly increasing with a large majority of the cases attributed to locally stranded individuals, repatriated overseas Filipinos and authorized persons outside of residence.
However, she noted a “disturbing” spike in local infections in the region especially between the last part of June up to July and in August.
Based on the data in the region, Reyes said they are already preparing for worst scenarios similar to Cebu City and National Capital Region.
She pointed out that while the majority of the local cases had exposure to LSIs and ROFs, there are also cases where the source of infection remains unknown.
Reyes said they are looking into the possibility that the local infections have spiked due to congregations that triggered the transmission within households and in their workplaces.
With this, Lacson said that the provincial government is “preparing for the worst.”
He also called on all towns and cities in the province “not to let their guards down.”
“Expect this pandemic to linger on for months to come. All Negrense are expected to join hands in battling COVID-19,” he added.
Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran earlier said that “it is expected that by December, the Covid-19 cases in Bacolod will reach thousands because of the local transmission.”
On the other hand, Dr. Julius Drilon, medical director of the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital, said “It is very evident that there is community transmission in Bacolod City and Negros Occidental.”/PN