W. Visayas on Alert Level 3 as COVID cases continue to spike

By Joseph B.A. Marzan

Region 6 is currently on Alert Level 3 and High Risk for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), according to the Department of Health-Western Visayas Center for Health Development (DOH-WV CHD) on Monday.

Alert Levels are determined by the DOH based on the transmission of COVID-19 cases, the Health Care Utilization Rate (HCUR), and the presence of the Delta (B.1.617.3) variant.

Alert Level 3 is triggered by high or increasing case counts and increasing HCUR, regardless of the presence or absence of Delta variant cases. It is also determined by risk classes (between Moderate to Critical Risk) and COVID-19 or Intensive Care Unit (ICU) bed utilization, which must be lower than or equal to 70 percent.

COVID-19 transmission is classified between Low, Medium, and High Risks, and is determined through 2 data sets – the 2-Week Growth Rate (2WGR) and the Average Daily Attack Rate (ADAR).

The 2WGR refers to the percentage rate of how fast COVID is transmitted, while the ADAR is the average number of how many cases per 100,000 population of an area get COVID daily. Both are measured over 14 days.

Recorded COVID cases in Western Visayas grew by 14 percent as of Sept. 19 from 10,380 (Aug. 19 to Sept. 1) to 11,849 (Sept. 2 to 15).

This was slower compared to the 27.66 percent growth between Aug. 19 to Sept. 1 and Aug. 5 to 18 (8,131 cases), or a difference of 2,249 cases.

New cases per 100,000 population in the region also grew, with the ADAR of 9.38 (Aug. 19 to Sept. 1) increasing to 10.71 (Sept. 2 to 15).

The region’s HCUR, which refers to the percentage rate of COVID-dedicated beds and mechanical ventilators used, is at Moderate Risk (66.08 percent).

When broken down, this means that in the entire Region 6, up to 68.6 percent of COVID Ward beds in hospitals, 66.54 percent of ICU beds, 66.21 percent of Isolation beds, and 57.58 percent of mechanical ventilators are used or occupied.

The region also has a high number of Delta variant cases as of Sept. 19 at 176 cases. It is now the dominant COVID strain in the health department’s list of closely monitored variants.

Areas under Alert Level 3 are advised to take the following actions:

• Aggressive Community Testing;
• For areas with local Delta variant case (city or municipality), rapid antigen test can be utilized;
• Ensure all close contacts are traced, tested and quarantined;
• Facility isolation, especially for areas with local delta variant cases;
• Decongest hospitals and improve triage and referral systems;
• Promote the use of telemedicine, home care packages, stepdown care facilities;
• Target decongesting hospitals of mild and asymptomatic cases;
• Ensuring adequacy of ICU beds in Level 2 and 3 hospitals; and
• Reprioritization of vaccine deployment and logistics and other resources needed to areas with increasing cases; and
• Avoid using hospitals as vaccination sites in preparation for surge capacity.

DOH-WV CHD spokesperson Dr. Marie Jocelyn Te explained the significance of including the Alert Levels in their weekly online pressers.

Te said that the alert level system is one of the ways to inform the public of the COVID-19 situation in an area, which makes it easier to understand how an area is faring in terms of their response strategies.

“Sometimes, if we don’t know our alert levels, the people may think that we’re just putting too much details, especially if they don’t listen to the radio or read newspapers. So, we need to put [Alert levels] there so that even our local officials, health workers, and the public could monitor and would know what to do,” Te said.

PER AREA

The region’s Alert Level 3 status could be attributed to 4 areas which are currently under the highest Alert Level 4 – Guimaras, Negros Occidental, and the highly urbanized cities of Bacolod and Iloilo.

Iloilo and Capiz are on Alert Level 3, while Aklan and Antique are on Alert Level 2.

Negros Occidental posted the fastest growth in COVID cases within 14 days, with a 2WGR of 100 percent, followed by Bacolod City (80 percent), Iloilo City (34 percent), and Capiz (6 percent).

Declining trends in new COVID cases were recorded in Guimaras (-1 percent), Iloilo province (-7 percent), Antique (-32 percent), and Aklan (-46 percent).

As to the ADAR, Iloilo City has the most number of new cases per 100,000 people within the said period (32.43), followed by Guimaras (17.74), Bacolod City (17.18), Iloilo province (14.82), Capiz (6.13), Antique (4.93), and Aklan (4.09).

Guimaras still has the highest HCUR in the region (93.75 percent), followed by Bacolod City (76.92 percent), Iloilo City (74.96 percent), Negros Occidental (72.64 percent), Iloilo province (69.62 percent), Capiz (61.69 percent), Antique (39.66 percent), and Aklan (12.68 percent).

No area in the region is spared from the Delta variant, as all have had more than one case as of Sept. 19.

Iloilo province tops the Delta list (47), followed by Antique (29), Aklan (27), Iloilo City (24), Bacolod City (21), Negros Occidental (11), Capiz (9), and Guimaras (8).