ILOILO – The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) recommended extending this province and Iloilo City’s quarantine status to modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) until July 31, 2021. The rest of Western Visayas, on the other hand, may shift to the stricter general community quarantine (GCQ) status.
Local government units (LGUs) could still appeal, Palace spokesperson Harry Roque clarified.
President Rodrigo Duterte will have another talk to the nation on Wednesday night, he added.
‘LOW RISK’
Meanwhile, the Department of Health (DOH) classified Western Visayas as a “low risk” area for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
During Monday’s virtual presser, DOH-6’s Dr. Bea Camille Natalaray said the classification was based on the region’s average daily attack rate (ADAR) – the number of infected people per 100,000 population – and two-week growth rate (TWGR).
The region’s ADAR and TWGR dropped, a comparison in the morbidity week data between June 14 and June 27 and between May 31 and June 13 showed.
DOH-6’s data (between June 14 and June 27) showed the region’s TWGR significantly plummeted to negative 25 percent from the 44.48 percent recorded between May 31 and June 13.
Meantime, the ADAR also dropped to 6.28 percent compared to the 8.33 logged between May 31 and June 13.
Based on DOH’s Community Quarantine Decision Framework (CQDF), if the TWGR of an area is less than or equal to zero, it would be deemed low, while should the ADAR go below seven, the area would be considered at medium or moderate risk.
“With our 6.28 ADAR, medium, and TWGR nga low, Western Visayas is considered a low risk area,” she explained.
The provinces of Aklan and Guimaras and cities of Iloilo and Bacolod have been classified as moderate risk areas. The provinces of Iloilo, Antique, Capiz, and Negros Occidental, meanwhile, were considered as low risk.
As to the Health Care Utilization Rate (HCUR) – usage of COVID-dedicated beds and mechanical ventilators – in the region, Natalaray said it also dropped to 63.55 percent (moderate risk) as of June 27 against the 64.19 percent it posted on June 13.
Natalaray said the province of Capiz (71.43 percent) and Iloilo City (81.39 percent) were considered high risk in terms of HCUR.
Region 6’s case fatality rate is at 2.27 percent which is relatively higher compared to the global case fatality rate (2.16 percent) and national fatality rate (1.74 percent).
The region is also logging 616 cases per day in the month of June.
As of June 27, Western Visayas had 64,529 (cumulative) coronavirus disease cases –11,708 are active (18.14 percent), 51,340 recovered (79.56 percent) and 1,462 deaths (2.27 percent).
Here’s the breakdown of cases as of June 27.
* Aklan – 4,114 cases (1,318 active, 2,721 recovered and 75 deaths)
* Antique – 2,201 cases (554 active, 1,582 recovered and 63 deaths)
* Capiz – 4,209 cases (757 active, 3,328 recovered and 123 deaths)
* Guimaras – 943 cases (212 active, 713 recovered and 18 deaths)
* Iloilo – 11,490 cases (2,694 active, 8,506 recovered and 288 deaths)
* Negros Occidental – 18,238 cases (1,909 active, 16,000 recovered and 321 deaths)
* Bacolod City – 12,701 cases (1,894 active, 10, 504 recovered and 300 deaths)
* Iloilo City – 10, 633 cases (2,370 active, 7,986 recovered and 274 deaths)./PN
