BY GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Contact tracing is catching up with the spread of the virus, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said, noting the continuing downtrend in the number of Covid active cases in Negros Occidental since last week.
The province logged 1,443 active cases on May 18, from its peak of 2,631 on May 6.
Diaz said there were 51 active cases yesterday, and he called it a “big improvement”, compared to an average of 200 cases per day, in previous weeks.
He said he and Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson thanked the contact tracers for a job well done, as they were able to get ahead of the epidemic’s way.
Only the cities of San Carlos, Silay, and Talisay remained with active cases in triple digits, compared to 10 local government units two weeks ago.
Salvador Benedicto and San Enrique logged the lowest number of Covid-19 cases, with three each.
“Hopefully, it will be under control until we reach 50 cases in the whole province, or even zero,” Diaz said.
He said the operation of the Valladolid District Hospital molecular laboratory is now full blast to augment the Teresita Lopez Jalandoni Provincial Hospital in Silay City. “This will improve our turnaround,” he said, adding that the load of samples will be provided to the two molecular laboratories, with the VDH catering to portions of southern Negros.*