Bacolod’s new COVID cases down to only 15

BACOLOD City – This city booked only 15 new COVID-19 cases Tuesday, Nov. 9, as the Emergency Operations Center-Task Force disclosed that, based on real time data, 84 percent of Bacolodnons have already received their first dose of the vaccine.

Dr. Chris Sorongon, EOC-TF deputy for medical, data analysis and management, said that fully vaccinated residents and those who received their first jab combined, account for 58 percent of the target population for inoculation.

On Monday, an elated Mayor Evelio Leonardia reported that the city only had 18 cases, the lowest since Aug. 14.

“We only have 15 today,” replied Dr. Rosalie Deocampo, EOC-TF head for Contact-Tracing Cluster, when asked for an update regarding new cases for the day.

Sorongon and EOC-TF Executive Director Em Legaspi-Ang attributed the decrease to the intensified vaccination efforts among pediatric population, ongoing house-to-house campaign and vaccination drive  in puroks and remotest areas of Bacolod  on top of the aggressive contact-tracing and testing (swab-all policy).

These are the reasons why Bacolod is experiencing a steady decline in COVID cases, they explained.

The Department of Health status report also placed the city under Alert Level 2, Sorongon said, as he expressed confidence that the National Inter-Agency Task Force will downgrade Bacolod’s Alert Level status by Nov. 15.

“However, we need not be complacent as we continue to open our economy and relax some restrictions. We have to still observe enforcement of minimum health protocols, actively participate in the city’s vaccination program, go for an early consultation, early detection and seek early treatment and, more importantly, stay at home,” Sorongon emphasized. (PIO)