ILOILO City – Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases in Western Visayas are seeing a downward trend. Daily average cases hover at 100, data from the Department of Health (DOH) in Region 6 showed.
Yesterday (Nov. 15), the region recorded only 47 new cases.
DOH-6’s data also showed the daily average case count in the past months: June (650), July and August (596), September (820), and October (414).
Cases drastically dropped to an average of 116 so far this month, data showed.
Region 6 also remained a “low risk” area for COVID.
It had a 1.27 percent average daily attack rate (ADAR) per 100,000 population and negative 62 percent two-week growth rate (TWGR), as of Nov. 14.
The healthcare utilization rate (HCUR) is also low. Of the region’s 2,310 total COVID-19 beds and mechanical ventilators, only 33.72 percent or 779 were occupied.
Based on their ADARs and TWGRs, five provinces were at minimal risk:
* Aklan – 0.13 percent ADAR; negative 59 percent TWGR
* Antique – 0.54 percent ADAR; negative 33 percent TWGR
* Capiz – 0.78 percent ADAR; negative 60 percent TWGR
* Guimaras – 0.50 percent ADAR; negative 78 percent TWGR
* Iloilo – 0.71 percent ADAR; negative 64 percent TWGR
Negros Occidental and the cities of Bacolod and Iloilo, on the other hand, were at low risk.
As to the quarantine alert level, DOH-6 data showed only Iloilo City is on Alert Level 1 while the rest of the provinces and highly urbanized cities are on Alert Level 2.
Based on the recommendation of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases and the DOH approved by President Rodrigo Duterte, the cities of Bacolod and Iloilo shifted to Alert Level 2 while the rest of Western Visayas maintained the same status.
Bacolod was placed under Alert Level 4 while Iloilo City under Alert Level 3 for the first 14 days of November.
Despite the gradual easing of pandemic restrictions, the DOH-6 continues to remind Western Visayans not to deviate from the minimum health protocols such as proper wearing face coverings, frequent hand washing and social distancing./PN
