BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL G. BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – The hospital occupancy rate in Negros Occidental is steadily increasing, according to Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz, which means more people are getting hospitalized.
The occupancy rate is now at 62.67 percent, way up from just 20 percent in previous days, said Diaz yesterday.
Considerable rise was particularly seen at the district hospital in Cadiz City, he said.
While the provincial government has allowed home quarantine for people infected – or suspected to be infected – with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), Diaz said this is on the condition that there is sufficient space at home where the patient could securely stay so that other members of the household won’t be exposed to him.
Also, said Diaz, everyone in the household must be fully-vaccinated against COVID-19.
A person is considered fully vaccinated against COVID-19 two weeks after receiving their second dose in a two-dose vaccination series, such as with the Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, or Sinovac brands of vaccines, or two weeks after a single-dose vaccine such as with Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine.
OMICRON NOW PREVALENT IN NEGROS?
Negros Occidental governor Eugenio Jose Lacson believes the Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus may now be in prevalent in the province, citing the steady increase in new infections.
Citing data from the Department of Health (DOH) in Western Visayas, Lacson said Negros Occidental recorded a total of 193 new cases while Bacolod City had 187.
Because of the case surge, Lacson said, the provincial government will again convert district hospitals into COVID-19 facilities and re-open quarantine sites.
He also said those positive in rapid antigen tests will be immediately classified as COVID-19 positive.
Executive Order 21-61-A issued by Lacson and took effect on Jan. 9 amending his previous directive in order to impose restrictions on air, sea, and land travel to the province.
Previously, fully-vaccinated individuals were only required to present vaccination cards or certificates and an S-PaSS to enter the province. Only the unvaccinated and partially vaccinated were asked to submit a negative result of their reverse-transcription – polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test before travel.
The Safe, Swift and Smart Passage (S-PaSS ) is an online travel management system of the Department of Science and Technology used for domestic travel during this COVID-19 pandemic vis-à-vis teh varying levels of travel restrictions imposed in local government units. It is used as a platform for individuals to check on prevailing travel policies and requirements in a specific local government as well as secure travel coordination permits (TCP) and travel pass-through permits (TPP) from local governments.
Lacson’s stance on lifting the negative RT-PCR test requirement for Negros Occidental-bound travelers has also not changed, despite previous calls from local fastcraft operators to implement a “no vaccine, no travel” policy instead./PN
