THE Department of Health (DOH)-Eastern Visayas announced that 22 health workers in the region have tested positive for the virus that causes the coronavirus disease (Covid-19).
These 22 health workers are among the 59 new positive results released by the Eastern Visayas Regional Covid-19 Testing Center on Tuesday, June 16, said Dr. Miverva Molon, regional health director.
Eighteen of the health workers are from Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center (EVRMC) in Tacloban City, while four are from the Leyte Provincial Hospital in Palo, Leyte.
Molon said the EVRMC-Emergency Department in Cabalawan and Magsaysay in Tacloban will be closed temporarily for admission and all referrals effective immediately.
“The hospital will be disinfected,” the health official said in a statement.
The confirmed cases are from Tacloban City (16), Dulag (1), Palo (2), Babatngon (1), Alangalang (1), Calubian (2), Barugo (2), Bato (1), Julita (1), Baybay City (9), Matalom (8), Hindang (6), Kananga (1), and Tolosa (1) in Leyte; Kawayan (2) in Biliran; and Tarangnan (4) and Calbayog City (1) in Samar.
As of Tuesday, Eastern Visayas has a total 264 Covid-19 cases.
Meanwhile, Tacloban Vice Mayor Jerry Yaokasin urged the public not to resort to finger pointing, blame shifting and excuse-making at this time.
"Instead, we must pray for those who have been infected with the coronavirus -- that they may be healed. We also need to support all our frontline health care workers/providers. Instead of finding faults, we must work toward finding actual solutions. Remember, we are all in this together," Yaokasin said. (SunStar Philippines)