RISING CASES. The number of active Covid-19 cases in Negros Oriental has risen to double digits from a single-digit as of June 26, 2022. Assistant Provincial Health Officer, Dr. Liland Estacion, is appealing to the public to have themselves vaccinated amid a "poor performance" in the vaccine rollout. (PNA file photo)
DUMAGUETE CITY – The number of active coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) cases in Negros Oriental has slightly increased, although not alarming, amid the provincial government's "failure" to reach the vaccination rollout target.
“While it is still not alarming, the continued rise in Covid-19 cases in the province means that the virus is still being transmitted but not all are reported to authorities and we cannot let our guard down,” said Assistant Provincial Health Officer, Dr. Liland Estacion, on Tuesday in mixed English and Cebuano.
She reported 10 new active cases as of Monday compared to only eight last June 21, based on weekly monitoring and reporting of the Provincial Health Office (PHO).
“The “failure” or poor performance in the vaccination accomplishment of the province is the reason why we cannot be downgraded to Alert Level 1,” she said.
Many people have stopped availing of the vaccines and about 50 percent of the target population remains to be located, she added.
On Monday, the national Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) announced that Negros Oriental is still placed under Alert Level 2 from July 1-15, “without prejudice to their respective component cities and municipalities which may be under a different alert level classification”.
PHO records show that 663,472 individuals were fully vaccinated, including with the one-shot Janssen vaccine, as of June 27.
This represents 57.7 percent of the target population for vaccination of 1,148,424, Estacion said, or a measly three percent accomplishment gain from June 1 to 26.
Estacion said they cannot predict the trend in cases due to many undocumented infections with patients doing self-testing with over-the-counter antigen test kits, but she believes there are more than what is being reported to her office.
The PHO is only reporting cases of persons tested using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction.
The doctor reiterated her call, especially the so-called zero-dose individuals, to have themselves vaccinated. (PNA)
