By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

The hospitals owned by the provincial government of Negros Occidental are not overwhelmed at this time even though the province still has active cases of coronavirus disease 2019, or COVID-19.

Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz presented data provided to them by the province’s One Hospital Command System showed that the Teresita Jalandoni Provincial Hospital in Silay City has 116 occupied beds, while 82 remain vacant.

Lorenzo Zayco Hospital in Kabankalan City, meanwhile, reports 71 beds occupied, followed by Cadiz City District Hospital with 17 beds occupied; Valladolid District Hospital with 15; Valerian Gatuslao Hospital in Himamaylan City with 26; and Merceditas Hospital in Sipalay City with only one bed occupied.

Diaz further pointed out the patients are all non-COVID related.

“Our situation is far better compared to other provinces having high cases of COVID-19. We are hoping to continue with the situation of having a decreasing case of COVID-19,” he said.

Even though the province had roughly vaccinated only 10 percent of the total target population of 1.4 million, Diaz said the high vacancy of hospital beds in the province is an early sign that the COVID-19 vaccines are working.

Diaz pointed out that based on the positivity rate from April to July, the number of new COVID-19 cases is steadily dropping.

Despite the huge improvement, the provincial administrator, however, told the province’s residents not to be complacent as new variants of COVID-19 have recently been detected in Negros Occidental.

As of August 4, 2021, Negros Occidental has 1,109 active COVID-19 cases.

Total cases since March of 2020 is now at 21,548 with 19,886 recoveries and 553 deaths./DGB, WDJ