By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

The number of coronavirus disease 2019, or COVID-19, cases both in Negros Occidental and its capital Bacolod City is continually going down.

Based on the latest data released by the Provincial Incident Management Team (PIMT) of Negros Occidental as of October 24, active COVID-19 cases in the province are now down to 3,644 after the province recorded 149 new recoveries and 27 new fatalities.

The province also recorded 41 new cases on Sunday, October 24.

Bacolod City, meanwhile, also recorded a continued drop in new cases with 1,667 active COVID-19 cases.

The city also recorded 142 new recoveries, with zero deaths, although Sunday’s data from the Department of Health – Western Visayas (DOH-6) reported 58 new cases.

In a separate weekly report issued by the DOH-6 yesterday morning, Negros Occidental’s average daily attack rate (ADAR) has significantly dropped from 8.29 three to four weeks ago to the present 5.16.

Negros Occidental’s risk classification level has also gone down to low risk, although the province is currently on Alert Level 2 as hospital care utilization rate (HCUR) is still high at 67.54 percent.

Bacolod City, meanwhile, also saw a decrease in its ADAR from 22.64 three to four weeks ago to 16.17.

The city’s risk classification level remains moderate with HCUR at 73.84 percent.

Bacolod City also remains under Alert Level 4.

Despite the noted drop in the province’s COVID-19 cases, Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson remains far from the end and he is urging the public to continue following the health protocols.

Bacolod City, meanwhile, is also stepping up its own vaccination program this week./DGB, WDJ