By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

The Bacolod City Health Office (CHO) has recorded 30 dengue fever cases in the city between January 1 and 11 this year. Based on data released by CHO, the number of cases is significantly lower, down 71.2 percent, compared to the same period last year, wherein 140 cases were recorded.
Barangay Singcang-Airport currently tops the list with the most dengue cases with seven, followed by Taculing and Alijis with four; and Mandalagan and Handumanan with two each.
In 2019, the city recorded a total of 2,713 dengue cases, resulting in nine fatalities.
The Department of Health in the Western Visayas, meanwhile, said the public should be more alarmed with dengue than the new coronavirus strain as dengue is far more deadlier.
Earlier this month, the Iloilo CHO declared the city’s dengue outbreak over.
“[Regarding] cases for two consecutive weeks, we are already below the epidemic threshold,” explained CHO officer-in-charge, Dr. Annabelle Tang.
However, she still advised the public to continue taking preventative measures against the infection.
“We should not be complacent,” the city official urged. “We need to continue anti-dengue activities in schools and barangays, particularly regular clean-up drives to be rid of mosquito breeding places.”
Last October, the Department of Health-Region VI (DOH-6) revealed the number of dengue cases in the region fell below the epidemic threshold. According to DOH-6 epidemiologist, Dr. Glen Alonsabe, “I hope that this will continue.”
“Naganubo na nga naganubo na ang aton mga kaso since sometime first of week August (The number of cases in the region have been in decline since the first week of August),” he added./DGB, WDJ