The COVID-19 situation in Negros Occidental is under control, contrary to a report of a research team that tagged it as an area of concern, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said today, December 2.
The COVID-19 situation in Negros Occidental is still good, it is not out of control, there is nothing to worry about, he said.
The University of the Philippines-OCTA Research Team that has been monitoring the COVID-19 situation in the country recently tagged Negros Occidental among the “provinces of concern.”
Diaz, who disputed the claim of the research team, said “we know better what is happening on the ground.”
The Teresita L. Jalandoni Provincial Hospital molecular laboratory real-time report shows that Negros Occidental on Nov. 27 had 85 COVID-19 cases, Nov. 28 – 84, Nov. 29 – 42, Nov. 30 – 29, Dec. 1 – 24 and Dec. 2 – 29, Diaz said.
But the situation is under control because of the continued monitoring, testing, and isolating of those found to be COVID-19 positive in the province, he said.
Diaz said there had been an increase in COVID 19 cases in the cities of San Carlos, Sagay, Cadiz and Kabankalan because they are centers of trade with a lot of activity.
As of today, new COVID-19 cases in Kabankalan were 7, Sagay – 4, Cadiz – 3, and San Carlos – 2, he said.
Despite the research team’s tagging the province as an area of concern the national government has retained its Modified General Community Quarantine status, Diaz also pointed out.
He said the Mambukal Resort in Murcia, that has been designated as a healing facility for government employees hit by COVID-19, also has zero occupants now.
There is not much activity at the COVID -19 designated hospitals of the province in Cadiz City and Valladolid that are almost empty, he added.
Diaz said he also met the provincial government doctors and they did not show alarm over the COVID situation in the province.
“We see a drop in COVID-19 cases, I don‘t know what the OCTA Research Team is referring to,” he said.
He said the provincial government is, however, bracing for the Christmas season when a lot of people will be coming home from other parts of the country and activities will be held that could cause a spike in COVID-19 cases.
All those arriving at the airports and port will be swabbed for COVID-19 tests and quarantined until their negative results come out, he said.
He, however, expressed concern that some travelers coming through seaports manage to evade COVID-19 testing.
The provincial government will continue to monitor and isolate COVID-19 persons over the holidays to prevent a spike in cases, he assured.*