Dengue cases in Negros Occidental are continuing to rise and are now 773.82 percent higher than last year, Dr. Ernell Tumimbang, provincial health officer, said Wednesday, July 13.
He said from January 1 to July 9 Negros Occidental recorded 2,036 dengue cases compared to 233 in the same period last year.
There are also 10 dengue deaths this year compared to three in the same period last year.
The dengue deaths this year were in Hinigaran, Talisay City and Calatrava – two each, and Himamaylan City, La Carlota City, Murcia and Toboso – one each.
The top 10 areas in Negros Occidental with the most number of dengue cases are Himamaylan City with 197, Kabankalan City – 186, La Carlota City -161, Hinigaran – 154, San Carlos City – 148, Bago City – 116, Binalbagan – 111, Pontevedra – 88, Cadiz City – 96 and Cauayan – 81.
None of the dengue hit areas in the province have reached alert or epidemic levels, Tumimbang said.
Kabankalan City is a dengue and COVID-19 area of concern, he also said.
Tumimbang said he met with Kabankalan Mayor Benjie Miranda on Tuesday to recommend the creation of a Dengue Task Force and Emergency Operations Center to ramp up the vaccination drive against COVID-19 in his city.
Kabankalan still has lowest vaccination performance in Negros. It needs to vaccinate about 55,000 residents to hit its COVID-19 vaccination target, Tumimbang said.
Miranda said on Wednesday that the city government has created its Dengue Task Force and convened its EOC.
Meanwhile, the Provincial Health Office is monitoring the COVID-19 situation in Iloilo and neighboring areas where rising cases are alarming, Tumimbang said.
Negros Occidental’s daily COVID -19 cases remain at single digits, he said.
Negros Occidental had nine new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday for a total of 36 active cases, the Provincial Incident Management Team reported.*
