By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga
The Department of Health (DOH) in Western Visayas yesterday tagged Bacolod City’s COVID-19 risk classification as “critical” due to the rising number of cases.
In their weekly COVID-19 situation report for the region, Bacolod City’s growth in COVID-19 cases has grown to 634 percent, with the average daily attack rate (ADAR) per 100,000 population at 18.79.
Negros Occidental, meanwhile, has a 1262 percent change in its COVID-19 growth with ADAR at 5.29. The DOH also placed the province’s risk classification to “high.”
As for the health system capacity, Bacolod City’s utilization rate of COVID ward beds is at 80.0 percent.
The good news though is despite the rising number of COVID-19 cases, both the intensive care unit (ICU) beds and isolation beds remain low for the city at 45.95 and 49.23 percent respectively.
Overall, Bacolod City’s Hospital Care Utilization Rate (HCUR) is at 52.19 percent with the city’s HCUR at “moderate risk.”
Negros Occidental, meanwhile, has a lower utilization rate of COVID ward beds at 77.39 percent, with zero utilization rate on ICU beds.
The utilization rate of isolation beds for the province, meanwhile, is at 64.59 percent with overall HCUR at 67.88 percent.
Negros Occidental HCUR is currently also under a “moderate risk” classification.
The DOH also presented data for the admission of COVID-19 type classification showing that as of January 23, Bacolod City currently has two asymptomatic, 23 mild, 111 moderate, 11 severe, and eight critical COVID-19 patients.
Negros Occidental, meanwhile, has 45 asymptomatic, 87 mild, 76 moderate, 31 severe, and zero critical COVID-19 patients.
Bacolod City also has one confirmed Omicron variant case, while Negros Occidental remains free of the said variant.
The DOH-6 also added both Bacolod City and Negros Occidental remain in Alert Level 3 status./DGB, WDJ