Officials of Negros Occidental and this capital city urged residents anew to get vaccinated against the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) as cases continue to increase in September.
In Negros Occidental, from a total of 2,043 active cases on Sept. 14, these have already reached 3,963 by Sept. 28, based on the data released by the Provincial Incident Management Team as of Wednesday.
Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said he sees the province hitting the 4,000-mark soon.
“Anytime that can reach 4,000. We’d like to think, although not confirmed, that this is really the Delta variant that is hitting us right now. Our basis is because the spread is very fast. I guess, we just have to continue contact tracing and treating those infected by the virus. Of course, more importantly, is that when a vaccine is available is to really take it,” he added.
Lacson enjoined senior citizens who continue to refuse to get vaccinated to already avail of the Covid-19 jab.
“I hope that by this time, they have already realized that many of our brothers and sisters have passed on, and most of them were unvaccinated. So it’s really important to have our vaccines taken,” he said.
Lacson also said that several of the provincial government’s medical front-liners, including provincial health officer, Dr. Ernell Tumimbang, have recently been infected by the virus.
Among those who tested positive as well are medical technologists and encoders at the Teresita L. Jalandoni Provincial Hospital Molecular Laboratory in Silay City.
Meanwhile, in Bacolod, comparative data released by the Emergency Operations Center Task Force (EOC-TF) as of Sept. 28, 2021 showed that Covid-19 deaths stand at 122 against only 76 on Sept. 30, 2020.
“We, in the city government and the EOC, therefore, are reiterating this appeal: Go get the vaccine now,” Mayor Evelio Leonardia said in a statement on Wednesday.
Bacolod has 2,026 active Covid-19 cases, based on the data released by the Department of Health-Western Visayas on Sept. 28.
City Administrator Em Legaspi-Ang, concurrent executive director of EOC-TF, said that the number of deaths almost doubled as the city is averaging 109 infections daily.
“Our health front-liners are pointing out that those experiencing severe Covid-19 cases in hospitals are those who remain unvaccinated,” she added.
Ang said the recent spike in Covid-19 cases has put the focus back on prevention, adding that “a major worry right now is Delta, a highly contagious SARS-CoV-2 virus strain”.
Dr. Edwin Miraflor, officer-in-charge of the City Health Office, said the continued rise in cases is happening despite the round-the-clock efforts to administer Covid-19 vaccines.
“The highest spread of cases and severe outcomes is happening in places with low vaccination rates, and virtually all hospitalizations and deaths have been among the unvaccinated,” he added.
Source: Philippines News Agency
