ILOILO City – The Department of Health (DOH) has detected a total of 11 areas in Western Visayas with clustering of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases.
According to Dr. Glen Alonsabe, epidemiologist of the DOH-6, eight of them were recorded within communities while three in hospitals.
A coronavirus cluster occurs when there is a concentration of local infections in the same area at the same time, Alonsabe explained.
“[Amo ini sila] ang mga nakarecord sang two or more [COVID-19] cases in two successive weeks,” Alonsabe told members of the media in a press conference on Wednesday.
The 11 COVID-19 clusters based were the following:
* Barangay Pajo, Lambunao, Iloilo
* Barangay Matab-ang, Talisay City, Negros Occidental
* Barangay Bi-ao, Binalbagan, Negros Occidental
* Barangay Cabadiangan, Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental
* Alimodian, Iloilo
* Bingawan, Iloilo
* New Lucena, Iloilo
* Manapla, Negros Occidental
* St. Paul’s Hospital
* Riverside Medical Center, Inc.
* Western Visayas Medical Center
Alonsabe said infected repatriates were excluded in the clustering of cases.
He advised local government units of concerned areas to impose partial or localized lockdown to stem further spread of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
As of yesterday, July 22, Western Visayas has 857 confirmed COVID-19 cases, 519 of which recovered while 16 died, leaving the number of active cases at 322.
People can catch COVID-19 from others who have the virus. The disease can spread from person to person through small droplets from the nose or mouth which are spread when a person with COVID-19 coughs or exhales.
The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, tiredness, and dry cough.
Dr. Sophia Pulmones, head of DOH-6’s Local Health Support Division, emphasized three strategies to effectively manage COVID-19 cases including those in areas with clustering.
“Ang aton strategies are detect, isolate and test,” said Pulmones. “Ang una gid is to do the contact tracing. Pagkatapos ma-identify na ang tanan nga close contacts, you isolate them and next is test. After nga mag-positive, treat.”/PN
