CHO warns of possible spike in COVID-19 cases

By John Noel E. Herrera

The Iloilo City Health Office (CHO) has warned the public of a possible surge in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases following the long Holy Week break from April 6 to 9, 2023.

CHO COVID-19 team head Dr. Roland Jay Fortuna said the spike could be due to mass gatherings in various areas amid the easing of health and safety restrictions at.

Fortuna said testing centers in the city were closed during the Holy Week, which is another reason for the possible increase in cases as the data gathered from the previous days will only be released this week.

CHO data indicated that Iloilo City already recorded 26 cases from April 1 to 10, which is more than half of the 44 cases in March.

The daily average of COVID-19 cases in the metro also increased to three cases per day from only one case per day in the months of January, February, and March.

With the possible spike in cases, Fortuna called on the public to practice minimum health protocols, like wearing face masks, the practice of social distancing and cough etiquette, and getting vaccinated to avoid the spread of the virus.

The employees and clients of Iloilo City Hall are also once again encouraged to wear face masks due to the rising cases of COVID-19 disease.

“Face masks will ensure that infection will not increase in closed areas while continuing with services of the city,” Iloilo City Mayor Jerry P. Treñas said on Tuesday, April 11, 2023.

Treñas, for the first time, was also among those who tested positive for COVID-19 disease in the last week of March.

While the cases are expected to spike, the CHO, on the other hand, noted that the healthcare utilization rate (HCUR) showing the occupancy of hospital beds dedicated to COVID-19 patients in Iloilo City remained at low risk with 25.62 percent.

The Department of Health (DOH)-6 also assured the public that there are sufficient hospital beds in the region in case there will be a spike in COVID-19 cases this month.

DOH-6 Infectious Disease Section chief Dr. Bea Camille Natalaray noted that the HCUR in the region remained at low risk as only 19.09 percent or 384 beds are currently in use out of the 2,012 isolation/COVID-19 ward beds, ICU beds and mechanical ventilators in different healthcare facilities in the region.

Meanwhile, DOH central office reported on Monday, April 10, 2023, that the daily average number of new COVID-19 cases in the country climbed to 278 during the Holy Week – a 13 percent increase from the previous week’s 246 cases a day.

Data from DOH’s COVID-19 weekly bulletin indicated that a total of 1,944 new cases were confirmed by different testing laboratories last week, and these include 17 individuals who were in critical condition.

Despite the increase in cases, infectious disease expert Dr. Rontgene Solante stressed that the spike was “most likely a backlog” and not a cause of alarm for the public and the health sector.

DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire added that the rise in cases should not be a cause of panic for the public, as hospitalizations and critical cases remain manageable.