BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – Despite the continued spike in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases in Negros Occidental, bed occupancy in capitol-run hospitals remained normal, according to Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz.
Of the 44 COVID-designated beds in the Cadiz City District Hospital, 26 were occupied by confirmed COVID-19 cases while 14 by suspected cases as of May 10, Diaz said.
Valladolid District Hospital in the town of Valladolid, meanwhile, had 20 COVID-designated beds – 14 were used by confirmed cases and five by suspected cases.
The two hospitals were for severe or moderate COVID-19 cases.
Those with light symptoms or asymptomatic are confined in quarantine facilities.
“If the quarantine facilities of local government units (LGUs) already reached their capacity limits, cases can be admitted to the province’s. We will accommodate them as much as we can,” Diazs said.
As of May 11, Negros Occidental had 13,289 total coronavirus cases – 2,352 active, 298 dead and 10,639 recovered.
Meanwhile, Diaz has once again appealed to returning Negrenses to submit themselves to reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing upon arrival.
According to Diaz, swabbing upon arrival has been proven effective in controlling COVID-19 cases in the province.
Earlier, the Provincial Incident Management Team (PIMT) admitted that Negros Occidental was having a hard time controlling the spread of COVID-19.
Dr. Zeaphard Caelian, PIMT head, said the province’s current quarantine classification – modified general community quarantine – is a reason why they find it hard to stem COVID transmission./PN