The Department of Health (DOH-6) attributed the continued increase in the number of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases in Western Visayas to the influx of locally stranded individuals (LSIs) and returning overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).
Dr. Ma. Julia Villanueva, DOH-6 assistant regional director, said majority of the additional cases of the disease in the region this month are LSIs and OFWs.
Yesterday, June 24, the region recorded 25 new positive cases, the highest surge in a day.
The DOH-6 classified all the 25 as LSIs. According to Villanueva, majority of them were stranded in Cebu.
Twenty-one of the latest COVID-19 patients are residents of Negros Occidental, three are from Iloilo City, and one is from Bacolod City.
There are now 228 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the region. The tally includes 96 active cases, 121 recoveries and 11 deaths.
Of the total infected patients, 145 are LSIs and OFWs repatriated from Cebu and Manila, the hardest-hit areas in the country.
As of June 23, the DOH-6 said 73 out of 5,589 returning OFWs tested positive for COVID-19 and 47 out of 16,379 LSIs turned out positive.
The region currently has two accredited laboratories. These are the Western Visayas Medical Center in Iloilo City and the Teresita L. Jalandoni Provincial Hospital in Silay City, Negros Occidental.
Meanwhile, the region’s health department urged the returnees to “follow the quarantine protocols set by the government to help prevent the further risk of COVID-19 transmission.”
“Those with history of travel to [coronavirus-] affected areas or possible exposure to the disease should undergo either home quarantine or facility quarantine, wear face masks, minimize interaction with other people, and frequently wash hands with soap and water,” the DOH-6 said.
“Those who manifest signs and symptoms like fever and soar throat should immediately inform their local health officers or their Barangay Health Emergency Response Teams (BHERTs) for proper management and referral,” it added.IMT
Photo by OWWA-6
