BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL G. BAÑAGA
ILOILO City – There is no sharp surge in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infections in Negros Occidental despite the recent uptick in cases, according to the Provincial Health Office (PHO).
As of Aug. 5, Negros Occidental had 145 active cases, bringing the total number of infections in the province since March 2020 to 41,859.
The death toll is at 1,981.
PHO head Dr. Ernell Tumimbang said while fresh cases were at double digits, these were not indicative of a surge.
One factor that should be looked at is the hospital bed utilization rate, he said.
If the utilization rate is up, it means many patients are being hospitalized because they have severe cases, Tumimbang said.
Currently, active cases are on home quarantine; they are mostly vaccinated so their conditions are mild, he said.
“They are reported because they are being monitored by our surveillance unit,” according to Tumimbang, adding that they are screening hospital admissions through rapid antigen tests if the patient is already vaccinated.
If the patient is unvaccinated, they will have to undergo a reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test before admission.
Meanwhile, Tumimbang lamented that COVID-19 booster shot rates are still low in Negros Occidental.
He said Negrenses seem already confident after getting two primary COVID-19 shots, and businesses are also opening up.
Tumimbang stressed the importance of ramping up the vaccination campaign, and particularly on booster shots even if the province is already under Alert Level 2./PN
