BACOLOD City – The “surveillance” testing at three major public markets in this city yielded only 35 vendors positive for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
The test results of the other 2,348 vendors were negative for the viral disease, according to Mayor Evelio Leonardia.
He said the city government recently conducted surveillance testing for the second batch of 371 vendors, which brought to 2,383 the total number of individuals swabbed in Libertad, Burgos and Central markets.
He touted the low turnout of infections, which translates to a positivity rate of 1.47 percent.
“This impressive low figure means that our major markets are relatively safe and, as such, may boost the confidence of daily customers going to the markets,” he said.
The mayor also mandated the Bacolod Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office to regularly disinfect the markets – every weekend – to further ensure the safety and well-being of Bacolodnos.
In a related development, City Administrator Em Ang, executive director of the City Emergency Operations Center Task Force (EOC-TF), said they are planning to implement a “one-to-one patient-to-room” accommodation ratio.
“This is due to continued decline in the number of cases in this city,” she added.
According to Ang, the decrease in the number of COVID-19 cases resulted in the underutilization of at least two isolation facilities at the Luisa Medel National High School and Bata Elementary School.
Dr. Anna Maria Laarni Pornan, EOC deputy for medical, said the utilization rate of isolation facilities in this city’s public schools only peaked at 15 percent on Nov. 3.
Data from the EOC-TF also showed that of 576 beds, only 84 were utilized, leaving 492 beds available, or an 85-percent available bed capacity.
As of Wednesday, Bacolod had a total of 4,873 COVID-19 cases – 272 were active, 4,464 recovered and 137 died./PN
