BY GEROME DALIPE IV
ILOILO City – Public and private hospitals in the city have been urged to enhance their infection control measures amid the surge of COVID-19 cases in the metropolis.
The City Health Office (CHO) here reported the city government logged 48 COVID-19 cases compared to the 8 cases recorded from July 10 to July 23.
It thus placed Iloilo City under the “moderate risk” classification after recording a two-week growth rate of 500 percent from July 24 to August 6.
Dr. Jan Reygine Ansino-Hortinela, CHO Medical Officer, pointed out the rise in COVID-19 cases resulted in an increase in the average daily attack rate to 0.74 from 0.12 percent.
Iloilo City has 255 total confirmed cases, with 33 active cases and 209 recoveries. The CHO also recorded 13 reported deaths due to complications caused by the highly contagious infectious disease.
“In January, our cases were high, then they decreased and were almost flat, but suddenly in July and August, our cases gradually increased,” said Ansino-Hortinela.
The majority of the cases have been recorded from those working in the healthcare industry with a median age of 35.
Mandurriao district posted the most number of confirmed cases at 48. Jaro I recorded 46 cases, Jaro II had 41, while La Paz and Molo reported 31 with 27 cases, respectively.
Barangay Cubay in Jaro also has the most confirmed cases with 11, followed by Abeto Mirasol Taft South in Mandurriao with 8. San Isidro in Jaro and Guzman-Jesena in Mandurriao each have 7 cases.
The CHO has urged the public to wear masks in crowded areas and advises frontline workers who interact with multiple clients daily to consistently use protective masks amid the recent surge in COVID-19 cases.
It also emphasized the critical importance of regular hand washing and proper cough etiquette to minimize the spread of the virus.
Ansino-Hortinela also appealed to hospitals to prepare for potential case surges by increasing ICU capacity, ventilators, and other essential medical supplies.
The CHO reminded individuals with flu-like symptoms to stay at home and seek early medical consultation to prevent further spread of the virus.
It asked hospitals to prepare for potential case surges by increasing ICU capacity, ventilators, and other essential medical supplies.
The public is also being reminded to continue following health protocols, such as wearing masks, practicing physical distancing, and getting vaccinated or boosted if eligible./PN