BY CARLA P. GOMEZ
There are 60 new COVID-19 positive cases in Negros Occidental and Bacolod City, 28 caused by local transmissions, the Department of Health reported yesterday.
Of the 35 positive cases in Negros Occidental, 31 are locally stranded individuals who just returned to the province, 3 frontliners who work at a private hospital in Bacolod City, and a Bago City resident, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Daiz said yesterday.
The frontliners are two EB Magalona males aged 25 and 33, and a 35-year-old male from Talisay City, while the Bago City resident is a 24-year-old male, Diaz said.
The DOH reported 25 COVID-19 positive cases in Bacolod City, but the City Health Office report said there are 26 bringing the city’s total to 121.
Of those who tested positive in Bacolod City, one is an overseas Filipino worker and the 24 are close contacts of those who were earlier confirmed to have been hit by the virus.
Of the close contacts, Barangay Banago has 13, Barangay Estefania – 4, Barangay Tangub – 2, Barangay 29 – 1 and a health facility – 5, Dr. Grace Tan, Bacolod Inter-agency Task Force Against COVID-19 spokesperson, said.
Of the 121 confirmed cases in Bacolod City, 46 have recovered, 10 are still admitted, 44 are facility quarantined, and four have died, the CHO reported.
Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia said “the increase is cases is a reminder that COVID-19 is very much still here, we should not be misled by our quarantine status (Modified General Community Quarantine).”
The virus can hit in the most unexpected places, he said, but knowing where the positive cases are from is a big step towards contact tracing.
Leonardia said he has ordered that all those who are found to be COVID-19 positive should be facility quarantined, and reminded the public to follow health protocols.
The 35 new cases in Negros Occidental bring the total in the province to 363.
Of the new cases, Cadiz City has 6, Bago City and Escalante City – 3 each, Kabankalan City, Victorias City, Murcia, and EB Magalona – 2 each, Manapla, Sagay City, Hinoba-an, Pontevedra, Toboso, Salvador Benedicto, Sipalay, San Carlos, Ilog, Calatrava, Hinigaran, Himamaylan City, Pulupandan, Valladolid and Talsay City – 1 each.
The DOH also reported yesterday that 14 COVID-19 positive patients in Negros Occidental have recovered.
Of the 14, San Carlos City has three, Silay City, La Castellana and Escalante City – two each, and Cadiz City, Calatrava, San Enrique, Himamaylan City and La Carlota City – 1 each.
Western Visayas now has 960 COVID-19 positive cases with 374 active, 570 recovered and 16 deaths.
Negros Occidental has the most number of cases at 363 followed by Iloilo province with 278, Bacolod City – 121, Iloilo City – 103, Capiz – 35, Guimaras – 28, Antique – 21, and Aklan 11.
The increase in positive cases in Negros Occidental has been attributed to the province having its own COVID-19 laboratory that allows for faster test results.*
