BACOLOD City – This city is now experiencing a “second wave” of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infections, according to the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) here.
Coronavirus cases recorded this month (1,386) surpassed the 1,044 cases logged in August 2020, said Em Ang, executive director of the EOC.
Thus even if the city is under a lighter community quarantine status, Ang said, the public should not be complacent.
She reiterated the importance of minimum health protocols such as wearing of facemasks and social distancing, among others.
People must also avoid “super-spreader” events like mass gatherings to stem “person-to-person” transmission, Ang stressed.
As of yesterday, Bacolod registered 7,474 total coronavirus cases – 831 active, 6,436 recoveries and 207 deaths.
The EOC also tracks the utilization rate of hospital beds for COVID-19 patients in seven hospitals here.
As of April 29, 67.31 percent of the COVID-19 beds in Bacolod were being used.
This occupancy rate is higher than February’s utilization rate of 20 to 30 percent.
“A total of 136 patients are admitted in seven hospitals in Bacolod City, 95 [of them] or 68 percent are residents of Bacolod City. The remaining 32 percent are from the municipalities and cities of Negros Occidental,” the EOC reported.
This leaves 43 available beds for COVID-19 patients, 28 of which are in the six private hospitals and the remaining 15 beds in the sole government hospital here.
The bed utilization data was gathered through the One Hospital Command Center of the EOC.
Such data are then used to manage the healthcare capacity of the locality./PN
