ILOILO CITY – The Department of Health Western Visayas Center for Health Development (DOH WV CHD) is happy with the Alert Level 2 classification of the region although it would be happier if it could achieve the Level 1 status.
In Monday’s virtual presser, Dr. Daphynie Teorima, DOH WV CHD Medical Officer III, said it is not only DOH that is pleased with the less stringent protocols against coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) but also the public.
As of November 14, the region is left with only 6,167 active cases which is equivalent to 4.27 percent of its 144,472 total cumulative cases.
“Hopefully we can maintain this or will even get lower so gradually we would be able to go back to our life before the Covid-19,” Teorima said.
Of the total number of cases, 3,636 or 2.52 percent are verified deaths.
Teorima said there was a “drastic reduction” in the number of cases, which she attributed to the response of local government units (LGUs) and aggressive vaccination drive.
From the 820 new cases per day in September, it dropped to 417 in October and only 116 this November.
“Hopefully, we can maintain our minimum public health standard to sustain this to help the IATF (Inter-Agency Task Force) decide on our alert levels and guide in the decision making as to the opening of the economy and our related concerns,” Teorima said.
She noted that almost all of the provinces and highly urbanized cities (HUCs) in Western Visayas are now classified as low risk for Covid-19 and there are no more areas considered as high risk nor moderate risk.
“Overall, the situation in the region has improved,” she said.
Nonetheless, Teorima said the public should remain vigilant because the enemy is invisible.
She said if cases in other regions will increase, there is a possibility that the virus will spread to Western Visayas and cause another surge in cases.
“We are asking stakeholders, partners and the public to cooperate in observing health standards and also to submit to vaccination,” Teorima said. (PNA)
