DAGUPAN CITY - Ilocos Region is averaging just two coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) cases daily but wearing of mask and physical distancing protocols remain in place. Dr. Veronica de Guzman, Department of Health Center for Health Development Ilocos Region (DOH-CHD-1) team leader, said there is no mandate yet to stop wearing mask and disregard physical distancing as officials believe both measures will ensure the safety of the public. Based on the data of DOH-CHD-1, there were 16 new cases added from May 29 to June 4, or 54.3 percent lower than the cases reported from May 22 to 28. As of June 5, the non-intensive care unit (ICU) bed utilization rate in the region was at 11 percent while ICU was at 20 percent. There were only two confirmed severe and critical admissions. However, 152 deaths due to Covid-19 were verified within the most recent one-week period. In an interview on Friday, de Guzman said the vaccination rate in the region is high at 84 percent, exceeding the 80-percent ta
LEISURE SITE. The Negros Occidental Provincial Capitol Lagoon and Park in Bacolod City. Starting Thursday (Jan. 6, 2022), the provincial government has prohibited the entry of children 12 years and below to the facility as a precaution against the continuing threat of Covid-19.(PNA Bacolod file photo) BACOLOD CITY - Negros Occidental's provincial government has prohibited the entry of children 12 years and below to the Provincial Capitol Lagoon and Park here as a preventive health and safety measure against the continuing threat of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19). In Executive Order (EO) 21-57-A issued on Thursday, Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson amended the guidelines in the operations of the facility located across the Provincial Capitol Building. "There is a need to amend (the guidelines) in the light of the recent spike of Covid-19 cases in the country and in order to prevent the possible increase of cases in the province," Lacson said. He noted that because chil
(PNA Bacolod file photo) BACOLOD CITY - Mayor Evelio Leonardia lauded the various sectors here for their cooperation in the city government's response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) crisis after the status of Bacolod was further downgraded to Alert Level 1. In a statement on Wednesday, Leonardia said the recent development is a testimony to the city's effective management of the pandemic. "To put things in proper perspective, the Department of Health (DOH) placed Bacolod under Alert Level 1 because the city is now classified as a 'minimal risk' area," he added. In a media briefing, the new alert status of Bacolod was discussed by Dr. Bea Camille Natalaray of the DOH 6 (Western Visayas), where she explained that this was due to the declining attack rate in the city from 2.59 percent to 0.59 percent per 100,000 population. The health care system utilization of Bacolod has also decreased to only 12.46 percent, she added. "It is a recognition of t
MANILA - The Department of Health (DOH) on Wednesday reported two imported cases of the Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant detected from the 48 samples sequenced Tuesday. In a joint statement with the University of the Philippines - Philippine Genome Center (UP-PGC) and the University of the Philippines - National Institutes of Health (UP-NIH) the DOH also reported 33 cases positive for the Delta (B.1.617.2) variant while 13 had no lineage assigned. The agencies noted that the latest sequencing run was composed of samples from 21 returning overseas Filipinos (ROFs), a foreigner, and 26 local cases from areas with case clusters. "The two Omicron variant cases are incoming travelers and are currently isolated in a facility managed by the Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ)," the DOH said. One of the cases is an ROF who arrived from Japan on December 1 via Philippine Airlines flight number PR 0427. The sample was collected on December 5. His positive result was released on December 7 and the ca