COVID-19 cases in Negros Occidental are increasing and occupancy at the Cadiz District Hospital is nearing 100 percent, Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said on Friday, October 28.
Negros Occidental had 90 active COVID-19 cases on October 1 and on Thursday, October 27, the number had increased to 180.
The province also recorded eight COVID-19 deaths from October 1 to 27.
The total Covid deaths in the province since the start of pandemic were at 2,024 on October 1 and on October 27 increased to 2,032, the Provincial Incident Management Team reported.
The Cadiz District Hospital, the Negros Occidental designated facility for COVID-19 cases, has a bed capacity for 87 patients but the number can be increased to 120, he said.
Lacson said most of the patients admitted found out that they had the virus after they were tested on admission at hospitals for other medical needs.
Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said the Cadiz District Hospital currently has 85 patients or a 97 percent occupancy rate. Forty-eight are confirmed to have COVID-19 and 37 are suspected to have the virus, he said.
They were discovered to have COVID-19 following rapid antigen tests prior to admission at hospitals for other ailments. They are tested prior to admission to prevent hospitals from being compromised, he said.
The national government is expecting that with the easing of mask mandate the average daily COVID-19 cases in the country will increase from 2,000 to 18,000, he said.
There are still many Negrenses who are diligent about wearing masks, it is really up to one’s personal discretion, Diaz said.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. issued Executive Order No. 07 on Friday allowing the voluntary wearing of face masks in indoor and outdoor settings , except in healthcare facilities, medical transport, and public transportation by land, air or sea.
Mask wearing is still encouraged for the elderly, individuals with comorbidities, immunocompromised individuals, pregnant women, unvaccinated individuals and symptomatic individuals, the president said.*