KALIBO, Aklan – The alert level classification of the province of Aklan was downgraded from Alert Level 4 to Alert Level 3, the Department of Health (DOH) reported on Aug. 16.
The case count remained high and increasing but the healthcare utilization is manageable under Alert Level 3.
Aklan recorded 0.90 percent case fatality rate (CFR), lower than the 2.30 CFR of the region and national CFR of 1.74 percent.
The province remained a moderate risk level area with 18.97 percent average daily attack rate per 100,000 population and 40 percent two-week growth on cases for the recent two weeks from July 30 to Aug. 12.
The health care utilization rate of Aklan was at 54.30 percent as of Aug. 15.
Aklan’s intensive care unit COVID beds were 67.39 percent utilized while isolation and COVID ward beds at 57.43 percent occupied – both of which were classified as low risk.
There were clustering of cases in Kalibo (240), Makato (128), Numancia (111), Banga (105), New Washington, and Ibajay with 89 cases each, Malay (75), Batan (69), Malinao (68), and Lezo with 59 cases for the morbidity week 32-33.
With Aklan under Alert Level 3, DOH recommended that local government units enforce granular lockdowns, active cases finding and aggressive community testing, decongest hospitals of asymptomatic and mild cases, and start increasing hospital and ICU beds.
Meanwhile, Iloilo City and Guimaras were also placed under Alert Level 4.
Alert Level 3 provinces were Capiz, Antique and Iloilo while Bacolod City under Alert Level 2 and Negros Occidental province under Alert Level 1.
The region tallied 93,912 confirmed cases including 2,157 deaths and 11,115 active infections.
In the first 15 days of August, the region reported more COVID-19 cases than all of July, averaging 606 infections compared to 600. (PNA)
