Infectious disease specialists warned Wednesday, June 2, that the COVID-19 situation in Bacolod City is very alarming – hospitals are full and health care personnel are overwhelmed.
Hospitals are faced with lack of nurses and COVID-19 patients are waitlisted for admission, the doctors said at a virtual press conference called by Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia.
On Monday, the Department of Health classified Bacolod City as a high risk area for COVID-19.
The press conference was joined by eight members of the Philippine Society for Microbiology and Infectious Diseases in Bacolod City.
Dr. Dolores Rommela Tiples-Ruiz, president of the group, said the COVID situation appears to be worse now with more severe critical cases.
She stressed the need for more public awareness about the danger of the deadly virus as it is not just an ordinary flu.
People now are no longer scared of the virus making the situation worse, she said.
While the public should avail of the vaccines against COVID-19, the cheapest and most important way to prevent its spread is through strict compliance with minimum health protocols, she said.
“We all have to help each other…everybody needs to be involved,” Tiples-Ruiz said.
There are reports that people refuse to be swabbed for COVID-19, that is not good because they won’t be able to indentify positive cases and do contact tracing, she added.
She stressed the need for people who have come in contact with COVID positive persons to self isolate.
There are still people who do not wear their masks and continue to attend mass gatherings, the doctors said.
The doctors said the virus is spreading because of a false sense of security, carelessness, and the insistence on socializing and holding parties.
They also stressed the need to practice safety precautions at home.
277 DEATHS
Bacolod City has had 277 COVID-19 deaths since March last year with the highest number of deaths at 76 in September 2020 followed by 50 in May 2021, City Administrator Em Ang said.
Bacolod City has had 9,797 COVID-19 cases with the highest in September 2020 at 2,607 followed by 2,231 in May this year, she added.
QUARANTINE STATUS
Asked if they would recommend a higher quarantine status for Bacolod, Tiples-Ruiz said no matter what is imposed if people do not observe health protocols it would still have no impact on the spread of the virus.
She noted that many people are faced with economic problems and businesses have closed.
There are things that can be done without a higher quarantine status to prevent the spread of the virus, she said.
Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia said as much as possible they would like to avoid lockdowns because of the effects on the economy.
However, if the cases continue to rise and become worse the city government may have to resort to more stringent measures, he said.
The mayor said he is seeking the help of the national government and Army for additional nurses to augment the overwhelmed health care system.
19,321 ARRESTED
He hopes with the concerns raised by the doctors, people will take more seriously the need to comply with minimum health protocols.
Leonardia said a meeting with the barangay captains and the police has been held to ensure the strict compliance of minimum health protocols.
The police said they have arrested 19,321 health protocol violators from January 1 to May 30, with 6,526 caught for failure to wear face masks, followed by curfew and social distancing violators.
Other infectious disease doctors present at the press conference were Carina Frayco, Jeanette Umali, Erika Caperonce, Titania Deocadiz, Ria Cocjin, Lizette Guanzon and Roberto Guanzon Jr.*