THE number of recoveries from the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) continued to increase in Eastern Visayas, with seven new recoveries on Wednesday evening, July 8, 2020, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 493 or 80.69 percent while the total number of confirmed Covid-19 cases is now at 611.
In Tacloban City alone, the City Health Office reported that it has already discharged its remaining Covid-19 active case on Wednesday afternoon.
Dr. Minerva Molon, director of Department of Health (DOH)-Eastern Visayas, said 98 health workers who recovered from Covid-19 are already back to their work.
The Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center has only one remaining healthcare worker confirmed with Covid-19, according to Molon.
“The patient is asymptomatic and still isolated. We still have health workers assigned in the field who have been tested with Covid-19 who are asymptomatic and still isolated. All DOH employees confirmed with Covid-19 have already recovered,” the health official announced.
Molon said that the region was able to control the community transmission of Covid-19.
“This can be attributed to the coordinated efforts of all sectors of the community especially the Regional Inter-Agency Task Force and Regional Task Force. The early implementation of lockdown and the immediate isolation/quarantine of returning residents have greatly reduced the transmission of the infections,” Molon said.
The health official also urged the local government units with locally acquired cases to “intensify contact tracing to prevent further community transmission.”
“Municipalities like Tarangnan (Samar), La Paz, Burauen, and Hilongos, Leyte have no recorded local cases and the previous declaration of having a local transmission can now be lifted,” Molon said.
“For a province, municipality, or city to declare their area as ‘Covid-19 free’, one must have no recorded new Covid-19 cases for the past two incubation period or 28 days,” she added.
Meanwhile, Eastern Visayas Regional Covid-19 Testing Center released a total of 371 laboratory results, of which 361 are negative and 10 are positive for Covid-19.
The 10 positives include nine new cases and one re-swab result of Patient EV-443 from Lavezares, Northern Samar.
The nine new confirmed cases are tagged as Patients EV-601 to EV-609.
These are from Sogod, Southern Leyte (1); Padre Burgos, Southern Leyte (3); Lavezares, Northern Samar (5).
Divine Word Hospital Virology Laboratory also released a total of 76 laboratory results, with 71 negative and five positive for Covid-19.
The five positives include two new confirmed cases and three re-swab results of Patients EV-263 and EV-316 from Matalom, Leyte, and EV-577 from Albuera, Leyte.
The two new confirmed Covid-19 cases are tagged as Patients EV-610 and EV-611.
They are from Capoocan, Leyte (1); and Albuera, Leyte (1).
According to DOH-Eastern Visayas, the majority of the Covid-19 cases in the region belonged to the locally stranded individuals, followed by the locals, returning overseas Filipino workers and the beneficiaries of “Balik Probinsya” program. (SunStar Philippines)