BACOLOD City – More beds at the city government’s isolation facilities are available for coronavirus disease 2019 patients showing mild symptoms.
Two isolation facilities, including those at the Luisa Medel National High School and Bata Elementary School, are underutilized as of Thursday, a report of the Bacolod City Emergency Operations Center Task Force (EOC-TF) showed.
There are a total of 576 beds in various isolation facilities in the metro, 84 of which are being utilized, leaving 492 beds available or 85 percent available bed capacity, the report added.
With the declining occupancy rate, the EOC-TF is planning to implement a one-to-one patient-to-room accommodation ratio to further curb the local transmission of the virus, said the task force’s executive director and City Administrator Em Ang.
Dr. Anna Maria Laarni Pornan, EOC deputy for medical services, said the utilization rate of the isolation facilities in Bacolod public schools peaked at only 15 percent on Tuesday.
Councilor Renecito Novero, chair of the Quarantine Centers Action Team, said the city now has a bigger number of facilities reserved.
“Two months ago, we were worried that we might not have enough rooms due to the overwhelming number of people who need to be isolated,” he added.
In a related development, 28 out of the 61 barangays of this city remained COVID-free for the past 14 days.
These are barangays 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 11, 12, 14, 15, 17, 18, 20, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 30, 31, 34, 36, 37, 38, 41, Felisa, Montevista, and Alangilan.
The data indicates that 45.9 percent or almost half of the city’s barangays are without local transmission for two weeks.
“I hope the increasing number of barangays that are COVID-free will continue,” Ang said.
Burt she pointed out that the increase or decrease in the number of infections in Bacolod still depends on the people’s cooperation with local policies and observance of minimum health protocols.
“Mass gatherings or celebrations like birthdays are a common venue for the spread of COVID-19. Based on the reports of the EOC, there is a pattern of infection during these gatherings. We have to be vigilant and careful so we can maintain and sustain the decrease in cases,” she added.
On Nov. 4, Bacolod recorded 17 new cases, bringing the total to 4,873, of which 4,464 have recovered. There are 272 active cases and 137 recorded deaths. (With a report from PNA/PN)
