Due to the increasing cases of coronavirus disease (Covid-19), the Department of Health (DOH) in Western Visayas has placed Bacolod City a notch higher in terms of risk transmission level.
As of Saturday, September 11, the DOH- 6 elevated Bacolod to Alert level 4 from Alert Level 3 because of the increasing bed capacity rate for Covid-19 patients in the city’s hospitals reaching up to 78.25 percent.
Based on the DOH guidelines, areas that were placed under Alert Level 4 have a bed utilization or intensive care unit (ICU) utilization rate of more than 70 percent regardless of the presence of the Delta variant.
The local government units (LGUs) of these areas are advised to implement granular or localized lockdowns, conduct active case finding for areas with local Delta variant cases and increase hospital beds urgently especially those that are in intensive care units.
They are likewise urged to ensure that oxygen tanks are sufficient and available and that severe and critical cases are immediately and properly referred.
Negros Occidental, on the other hand, remained under moderate risk area or Alert Level 3.
As to areas categorized under Alert Level 3, bed utilization or ICU utilization rate is at 70 percent or lower.
Aside from the conduct of granular or localized lockdowns and active case finding for areas with local Delta variant cases, areas under Alert level 3 should decongest hospitals of mild and asymptomatic cases, the DOH said.
The DOH also advised that dedicated beds for Covid-19 in areas under Alert Level 3 should be increased to 30 percent.
As of Thursday, September 9, Negros Occidental and Bacolod City’s two-week growth rate stood at 75 percent and 21 percent, respectively, while average daily attack rate or the number of confirmed cases for every 10,000 population of the province is at 3.14 percent and 9.18 percent for the city, the DOH records showed.
It added that Negros Occidental’s positivity rate is now at 14 percent and 18 percent in Bacolod City.