Negros Oriental Assistant Provincial Health Officer Dr. Liland Estacion. (PNA file photo courtesy of Capitol PIO)
DUMAGUETE CITY – The Assistant Provincial Health Officer of Negros Oriental on Tuesday called on residents to cooperate and adhere to the health protocols so that the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) cases in the province will continue to drop.
“I hope this (trend) will continue and yes, we can sustain it, if all of us will show concern and follow the basic health protocols,” said Dr. Liland Estacion in a mix of English and Cebuano during a virtual press briefing.
Estacion, the health committee chair of the province’s Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID), noted that nearby provinces have shown a spike in their respective number of Covid-19 positive cases.
“But, if we do not pay attention and we let our guard down, I am certain that the number of Covid-19 cases in Negros Oriental will spike again,” she further said.
In recent days, the daily number of active positive Covid-19 cases dropped below 200, following a surge starting November last year, records at the Provincial Health Office showed.
On Monday, the province received 92 swab test results, broken into 79 negatives (with seven recoveries), nine new positive, and four repeat-swab positive cases, she said.
The nine new cases are from Tanjay City and Valencia (three each); Amlan, Dumaguete City, and Sta. Catalina (one each).
The seven recoveries are from Dumaguete City (six) and Siaton (one).
Also, an additional mortality was reported, a 53-year-old-male from Barangay Buñao here who had co-morbidities.
As of Feb. 16, Negros Oriental has a total caseload of 1,620, broken down into 1,401 recoveries, 168 active positive infections, and 51 deaths.
The total number of swab tests done since the pandemic started has now reached 30,764, including repeat swab test results and those that are pending.
Of the 168 active infections, this capital city still leads with 58, followed by Sibulan (17); Valencia (14); and Bayawan City (13). (PNA)
