The Department of Health (DOH-6) has advised the public to practice self-protection measures amid the continuing spread of the deadly coronavirus in the country.
These measures include, among others, frequent hand washing, proper cough etiquette and social distancing.
The health department also discouraged everyone from travelling and attending mass gatherings.
Last Saturday, March 7, the DOH raised Code Red Sublevel 1 after it confirmed the local transmission of COVID-19 in the country.
As of Monday, March 9, the number of people infected with COVID-19 reached 24. All the cases were reported outside of the Western Visayas region.
“Our region remains free of COVID-19. We have no confirmed cases here, Dr. Jane Roches Juanico, head of the Infectious Disease Unit of the DOH-6, said in a press conference on Monday morning.
The DOH-6 recorded 42 patients under investigation (PUIs). Of the number, forty-one tested negative for the disease while the remaining one is awaiting the laboratory test result from the Research Institute of Tropical Medicine (RITM).
Juanico said they are closely coordinating with local government units (LGUs) and health facilities for localized response and intensification of infection and prevention control measures and surveillance.
Meanwhile, the DOH-6 will intensify its tracking of patients with severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) in the region for further assessment.
Dr. Glenn Alonsabe, head of the Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit, said they have already identified at least 15 to 17 facilities, mostly provincial hospitals, where tracking down of patients with SARI will be conducted.
“These are patients nga na-admit sa aton mga sentinel hospitals, mostly they need further management for respiratory problem,” Alonsabe told reporters.
Once tracked down, specimen samples will be taken from the patients for COVID-19 testing.IMT
