BY GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Negros Occidental logged 10 COVID 19 deaths in just one day, with 52 new cases reported yesterday, records of the Provincial Incident Management Team show.
This brings the deaths in the province to a total of 25, according a report of PIMT the covered the period from August 1 to 25 this year.
Provincial Health Officer Dr. Ernell Tumimbang earlier said that majority of the COVID-19 patients being brought to hospitals are unvaccinated.
In a televised public briefing, infectious disease expert, Dr. Edsel Salvaña, said the increase in COVID-19 deaths is due to the backlogs in the reporting of fatalities.
He noted that the reporting of deaths was quick in cities like those in the National Capital Region as compared with far-flung areas.
The DOH, through the PinasLakas Campaign, continues to bring COVID-19 vaccines and booster doses closer to the people as health experts’ projections show that cases and hospitalizations would rise next month if the booster uptick remains low.
On the other hand, the provincial government of Negros Occidental will synchronize its monkeypox response with highly urbanized Bacolod City, to implement uniform protocols related to the viral disease.
Tumimbang, who yesterday presided over the meeting with between Bacolod City Health Office officials and different city and municipal health officers at the Negros Residences, said they have identified areas of concern in the implementation of uniform protocols against viral diseases.
“There are already guidelines, but we want to have it tailor fit for Bacolod City and Negros Occidental. We should set up local protocols adopting the Department of Health protocols,” he added.
The PHO chief said the Cadiz District Hospital in the north has been identified as the health facility with a quarantine or isolation area for monkeypox cases.
Tumimbang said the province would also set up a meeting with concerned officials regarding guidelines in the ports of entry, including the BREDCO port and the Bacolod-Silay Airport.
“We are doubling efforts in monitoring, considering there is a case in the region,” he added.
According to the World Health Organization, monkeypox is a rare disease caused by the monkeypox virus with symptoms similar to smallpox but is less contagious and causes less severe illness.
Monkeypox spreads mostly through skin-to-skin contact with those who have rashes or open lesions, unlike the coronavirus disease 2019 which spreads mostly through air.* with report from PNA
