By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

The Bacolod City Emergency Operations Center (EOC) over the weekend assured the city’s residents that the city still has enough beds and facilities to treat COVID-19 patients.

Dr. Chris Sorongon, deputy medical for the EOC, affirmed that there is a sharp increase in the number of active COVID-19 cases with hospital capacity utilization rate now at 82 percent.

“Our hospitals are already full, so I’m appealing to the public that if they feel unwell they should immediately consult their doctor,” Sorongon said.

Due to the sharp rise in cases, Sorongon said they have further augmented their contact tracing teams through the help of the 303rd Infantry Brigade of the Philippine Army, the Bacolod City Bureau of Fire Protection and the Bacolod City Police Office.

Sorongon also said they have now adopted a “swab all” policy, which means if patients are asymptomatic or not, close contacts of COVID-19 patients will still be required to undergo RT-PCR test.

The One Hospital Command Center has also been enhanced as they are anticipating a further increase in hospital admissions and due to the city’s hospitals being a catchment for COVID-19 cases coming from other local government units in Negros Occidental.

On April 17, the EOC reported 6,731 COVID-19 cases in Bacolod City, or which 643 are active cases; 5,891 recoveries; and 197 deaths./DGB, WDJ