BY MAE SINGUAY AND DOMINIQUE GABRIEL BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – This city and the province of Negros Occidental recorded all-time high coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) fatalities on Sept. 15 with seven and 26, respectively.
Most of the coronavirus casualties in Bacolod were unvaccinated against the viral disease, according to Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran, head of the city Inter-Agency Task Force on COVID-19.
As of Wednesday, Bacolod had 418 total COVID deaths, data from the Department of Health (DOH) in Region 6 showed.
Familiaran encouraged the public to get vaccinated against COVID-19, pointing out that the local government now has more available jabs.
On the other hand, Negros Occidental’s Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said Negrenses should stop treating COVID-19 as a joke, and should follow health protocols to protect themselves.
As of Sept. 15, DOH data showed the province had 498 total coronavirus fatalities.
Active COVID-19 cases in the province also reached 2,201, as of Wednesday.
Lacson believed the numbers will go even higher in the coming days. He blamed the surge on the more transmissible Delta variant of the virus causing COVID-19.
To meet the rising cases, the provincial government designated the Valeriano M. Gatuslao Memorial District Hospital in Himamaylan City into a COVID-19 Center and the Cadiz District Hospital.
“What is happening in Metro Manila is also happening here where even private hospitals that are already at full capacity,” Lacson pointed out.
“Let us get vaccinated against COVID-19 to ensure Negrenses that they are protected,” he added.
Meanwhile, Dr. Chris Sorongon, deputy for medical data and analysis of the Bacolod Emergency Operations Center (EOC) said on the latest nine delta variant recorded in this city, all of their repeat swab tests, yielded negative results.
However, one of them, a resident of Barangay Mandalagan died last month prior the release of his/her result being positive for the Delta variant, according to Sorongon.
Sorongon also appealed to the public to get vaccinated against COVID-19, observe health protocols, seek early medical attention when exhibiting symptoms, as well as avoid mass gatherings.
Bacolod had 21 Delta variant cases as this was being written./PN
