Cadiz mayor disputes COVID-19 cases data

By Dolly Yasa

 

BACOLOD City – Cadiz City Mayor Salvador Escalante refuted the report of the Negros Occidental Provincial Health Office indicating that they have the most number of active coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases.

The city has 150 active cases of the total 346 confirmed cases, according to a PHO report released to the media Friday.

But Escalante told Daily Guardian here Sunday that the data from the City Health Office showed that they only have 99 active cases.

The mayor said the PHO report is not correct adding that “all results from the November 3 swabbing are all in, as per information from the local Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF), our LGU only has 99 active cases.”

He also lamented that the PHO report was “belated.”

Escalante also said that as of Nov 3, 2020, Cadiz City has 498 PUMs (Persons Under Monitoring), 78 of whom are currently at the St. Andrew’s Park Place, the city’s isolation facility.

The 420 others are under strict home quarantine, the mayor said.

Escalante also said that Cadiz City posted 15 new cases and 18 recoveries.

“Again, we only have 99 active cases not 150 as the PHO earlier reported, hope this sets the record straight,” Escalante said.

In a letter to Provincial Health Officer Dr. Ernell Tumimbang, Cadiz City Health Officer Dr. Maria Victoria also clarified that Cadiz City only has 99 active COVID-19 cases and not 150 as of Nov 5.

She said Cadiz City recorded 347 confirmed cases, 234 of whom have fully recovered.

Meanwhile, the Talisay City Public Information Office also corrected that the LGU only has 15 active cases and not 23 as reported by the PHO.

The 23 active cases was reported last October 28, 2020, the Talisay PIO said.