A decline in the COVID-19 cases in Negros Occidental and Bacolod City is expected, Dr. Julius Drilon, Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital chief, said Thursday, February 3.
“As modeled in our forecasts, we have reached the peak of the COVID-19 cases in Bacolod and Negros,” Drilon said, and it is expected that cases will start to decline.
“Our data suggests that our reproduction number is down 1.39, meaning it has declined from the previous estimate of 3.07,” but the downtrend could be disrupted if not managed properly, he said.
He stressed the need for proper isolation and wearing of face masks, noting that one of the major reasons for the recent surge has been the non-compliance of safety protocols.
The Department of Health (DOH) on Wednesday, February 2, reported that the COVID-19 average growth rate of Bacolod City was down to 99 percent and Negros Occidental’s was 140 percent.
Negros Occidental recorded 159 new COVID-19 cases and seven deaths, the Provincial Incident Management Team reported Thursday.
Bacolod City had 80 new COVID-19 cases and two deaths, the DOH also reported Thursday.
Em Ang, Emergency Operations Center executive director, said she hopes the COVID-19 cases in Bacolod have hit their peak and the downward trend will continue.
The daily number of COVID-19 cases in Negros Occidental has been erratic but he hopes a downtrend continues, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz also said.
He stressed the need to continue to practice health protocols to keep the COVID-19 cases down.*