The Department of Health (DOH) raised the COVID-19 risk classification of Bacolod City from low to high on Monday, August 30, Dr. Bea Camille Fillario Natalaray, DOH 6 medical officer III, said in a virtual press conference.
It also raised Negros Occidental’s risk classification from low to moderate.
The COVID-19 alert levels of Bacolod and Negros Occidental were also raised to three, which means case counts are high or increasing, she said.
Areas under Alert Level 3 must ramp-up active case finding, find clusters and super spreader events to explain increase in cases, and conduct active community testing, Natalaray said.
She said the Philippine Genome Center during the weekend reported additional persons infected with the Delta, Alpha, Beta and P.3 variants in both areas, which are associated with increased cases.
Natalaray said Bacolod and Negros Occidental had four new Delta variant cases each.
Hit by the Alpha variant was one returning Overseas Filipino Worker from Negros Occidental , Beta variant – three local cases in Bacolod City and one in Negros Occidental, and P.3 – ten in Bacolod City and eight from Negros Occidental, Natalaray said.
She also said the two-week COVID-19 growth rate in Bacolod City was 27 percent and Negros Occidental – 18 percent.
The COVID-19 positivity rate in Bacolod City in the last two weeks increased from 6.15 percent to 7.82 percent and in Negros Occidental from 1.62 percent to 1.90 percent, Natalaray said.
The overall classification of Western Visayas is high risk. Guimaras, Iloilo province and Iloilo City are also tagged as high risk areas, Aklan and Capiz as moderate risk, and Antique at low risk.
The COVID-19 positivity rate in Western Visayas continued to increase from August 21 to 28 that indicates increased transmission of the COVID-19 virus in the region, Natalaray said.
She reminded the public to limit unnecessary travel, and avoid non-essential gatherings that can be done virtually.
“Practice minimum health standards that is our best defense against any variant, and do active self-monitoring and immediate isolation upon experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, ” she said.*