BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – The OCTA Research Group tagged this city and province of Negros Occidental as “critical risk” areas for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Bacolod is facing a “new surge” in cases, according to OCTA Research fellow Professor Guido David of the University of the Philippines.
The surge can be attributed to the more contagious Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, according to David.
David said the seven-day average in new cases here increased by 21 percent based on their Sept. 26 to Oct. 2 monitoring.
Although the reproduction number already decreased from a peak of 1.86 on Sept. 15 to the current 1.37, cases were still rising, David said.
The average daily attack rate (ADAR) in Bacolod was at 26.93 per day (per 100,000 population), that is, at critical level.
This city’s seven-day positivity rate, meanwhile, was at 23 percent and hospital utilization rate at 80 percent, deemed at high level.
David also noted that several cities and municipalities surrounding Bacolod are facing a new surge in COVID cases.
The OCTA Research Group tagged the cities of Cadiz, Talisay, Kabankalan, La Carlota, and Sagay as critical areas.
For instance, David noted the 100 percent hospital utilization rate in Kabankalan, and 92 percent in Cadiz.
The cities of Bago and Silay, on the other hand, were deemed “high risk” areas.
As of Oct. 3, total active cases in Negros Occidental reached 4,051 after recording 243 new cases.
Bacolod City, meanwhile, had 2,068 active cases with 136 new cases reported on Sunday./PN
