THE withholding by the Department of Health (DOH) of the information as to where or which place specifically is this Delta variants are discovered in Central Visayas is simply distressing. The DOH reported that 19 of the 466 additional Covid-19 cases were detected in the region. Central Visayas is composed of Provinces of Cebu, Bohol, Negros Oriental and Siquijor.
The public has the right to know that the DOH should act in accordance with its role in providing the public with the right information especially during this pandemic and with the advent of the Delta variant of Covid-19, which they say is more contagious and deadly, in order to prevent, if not curb, the spread of the virus and they should not play politics just because some officials might rebuke their findings.
The quarantine measures are not enough if the DOH withholds very important and relevant information, like the specific places where this Delta variants are detected, since the doubting Thomases still abound. By appropriately informing the public that this Delta variant is discovered, let's say in Province A, City B or Town C, this would give ample warning to the public, particularly those hard-asses, who refuse to comply with the health protocols, that this virus is real.
It was reported that aside from Central Visayas, Delta variant cases were discovered in the National Capital Region with 201, Central Luzon has 69, Western Visayas - 52, Calabarzon - 49, Mimaropa - 14, Davao Region - 11, Cagayan Valley - 7, Soccsksargen - 7, Northern Mindanao - 6, Bicol Region - 4, and Ilocos Region - 3. There are now a total of 1,273 cases of the Delta variant.
The August 23, 2021 Covid-19 Case Bulletin of DOH-7 showed that the Province of Cebu has 5,769 active cases with 202 new cases and 1,368 total deaths. Cebu City has 4,664 active cases with 206 new cases and 1,111 total deaths. Lapu-Lapu City has 1,564 active cases with 132 new cases and a total of 295 deaths, while Mandaue City has 1,935 active cases with 114 new cases and a total of 299 deaths.
Now, from all these new cases reported in the Province of Cebu and the cities of Cebu, Lapu-Lapu and Mandaue, could it be possible that one or five out of the 19 Delta variants detected in Region VII are found in one of the towns and cities in the Province of Cebu? I simply cannot understand that the DOH would hide this information from the public. This, on the other hand, could spring suspicions, particularly for the deniers that this Delta variant is a hoax.
I received information from a relative in Borbon, Cebu that the inoculation in their place is so slow. The municipality is still vaccinating the A3 category, or persons with comorbidities. Sometime in June, I received an information that by July, all the A4 category, frontline personnel in essential sectors or establishments, including uniformed personnel, would be vaccinated. Is the Provincial Health Office that distributes the vaccines to the towns and component cities of the province selective on which town or component cities would have the priority over the vaccines?
And, are we to understand that there are not enough vaccines that were allocated to the Province of Cebu by the IATF-DOH national office? I know that there are other regions that were badly hit by the virus, but I would like to assume that since Governor Gwen Garcia is close to the Duterte administration, the province could have received more of the vaccine allocation, especially now that the rate of infection in the province is so high than Bohol and Negros Oriental.