NEGROS Occidental provincial health officer Dr. Ernell Tumimbang said Wednesday, August 7, he will not recommend for the declaration of the province under state of calamity.
There is no dengue outbreak in the entire province, Tumimbang declared.
Tumimbang said that the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council clarified that the National Dengue Epidemic declared by the Department of Health does not mean that it’s a national state of calamity.
“The declaration of an outbreak is still the prerogative of the local government units (LGUs),” Tumimbang said.
Faced with a “staggering” rate of infection placed at 5,100 cases per week, the Department of Health (DOH) on Tuesday declared a national dengue epidemic that has so far claimed the lives of at least 622 people since January.
Tumimbang said that their latest data showed that 26 have died in the province due to Dengue with more than 4,000 cases from January to July this year which is about 46 percent higher compared to the record last year.
The health official said he will not recommend to Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson to declare a dengue outbreak of disaster of the entire province.
Murcia and Kabankalan City have already declared the dengue outbreak and three more LGUs have been recommended to declare an outbreak because of high dengue cases in their respective areas.
Tumimbang said that the Provincial Health Board will discuss the dengue situation in the province during their meeting on August 15. (TDE)