BY GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The Negros Occidental provincial government command center will be operational soon, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said.
He said that the command center will coordinate Covid-19 data gathering, consolidation, analysis and information dissemination to all local government units, to enhance patient extraction, contact tracing and testing of close contacts.
The goal, Diaz said, is to get identification faster through testing, to contact trace and isolate faster than the virus can travel.
In line with the updated action plan to combat Covid-19, the province is increasing the bed capacity of hospitals, including Cadiz and Valladolid District Hospitals from 29 beds to 160 beds.
Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said that the Valladolid District Hospital will be designated as an additional Covid-19 dedicated hospital, aside from establishing a molecular laboratory in the hospital to aid contact tracing and expedite trace, test and treat.
Lacson stressed that the successful implementation of the updated action plan is very much dependent, not just on the national and local government units, but the compliance of every Negrense of the minimum health standards and quarantine protocols.
He also reported that quarantine facilities were sufficient to take care of the needs of the most Covid-19 patients, while Cadiz City Hospital was not overwhelmed, and health workers were not compromised.
Lacson, in a memorandum order, directed CDH chief, Dr. Girlie Pinongan, to devote110 beds for Covid-19 positive cases before Sept. 14, in the third, fourth and fifth floors of the hospital, 10 beds for isolation room, and 40 beds to be added at the former NONESCOST building.
Members of the National Inter Agency Task Force, officials and representatives of the provincial government and city government of Bacolod will have a meeting at 5 p.m. today with business, medical and private sectors to discuss plans in going forward with the continuing fight against Covid-19.
Meanwhile, Mayor Neil Lizares yesterday issued an advisory that the Talisay City Hall will be temporarily closed from Sept. 9 to 11 to pave the way for disinfection and decontamination, after some employees tested positive for Covid-19 virus.
Lizares said it will reopen on Sept. 14.*
