By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

The Department of Health (DOH) in Western Visayas has released data yesterday showing Bacolod City has now dropped to Alert Level 2 status in COVID-19 alongside Negros Occidental.

Data from the DOH-6 showed that the average daily attack rate (ADAR) in Bacolod has significantly dropped from 17.02 percent three to four weeks ago to just 6.14 percent, placing the city under a “Low Risk” classification.

Hospital care utilization rate (HCUR) has also dramatically decreased to 54.62 percent, with COVID-19 growth cases now down to -24.59 percent.

Negros Occidental, meanwhile, also experienced a decrease in its ADAR from 5.37 percent to 2.94 percent, with HCUR at 46.25 percent and COVID-19 growth cases at -35.36 percent.
Although Bacolod City is now under Alert Level 2 classification, the DOH-6 clarified that the city remains under Alert Level 4 status based on the classification set by the National Inter-Agency Task Force (NIATF) which would last until November 14.

As to COVID-19 variants of concern, Bacolod City currently has four Alpha (first detected in the United Kingdom), six Beta (first detected in South Africa), 36 Theta (first detected in the Philippines), and 44 Delta (first detected in India) cases.

Negros Occidental, meanwhile, posted 12 Alpha, 19 Beta, 22 Theta, and 30 Delta variants cases.

The DOH-6 also confirmed that the number of cases in the whole Western Visayas showed a decrease to low risk classification, and there are currently no areas that are deemed either high risk or moderate risk.

The same could be said for the HCUR in the region, although the DOH-6 noted that some areas still showed moderate COVID-wards, intensive care unit, and isolation be occupancy.

They further added that as of November 7, they have already administered 3,601,832 doses of COVID-19 vaccines with at least 2,242,337 of the region’s population already receiving at least one dose of the vaccine./DGB, WDJ