TACLOBAN CITY- “Take a rest after getting the COVID-19 shot.”
Thus said Mayor Alfred S. Romualdez as he reminded Taclobanons during a press briefing held on January 20, at the City Hall as cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the city continue to increase.
He further asked help from the media to use their platform in conveying the message to the people about the importance of taking a rest for five to seven days after getting the vaccine, may it be the first dose, second dose, or booster shot.
“Rest. Give your body time to recognize the vaccine and build up antibodies,” he said, pointing out how the immune system drops after getting the shot which gives one a greater chance to contract a virus especially that it is still flu season.
Seeing the trend of transmission happening inside the homes, Mayor Romualdez emphasized the need to check on each family member.
“This is the time that family members look out for each other. It’s about time to pay attention sa iyong kapatid. Pay attention to your mom, to your dad. Magtulungan kayo dito. Hindi ninyo pwedeng pabayaan ang isa’t-isa, “ the mayor said.
“I don’t want to do drastic measures in locking down the city. Malayo pa tayo d’yan, pero baka umabot tayo d’yan kung hindi tayo mag-iingat,” Mayor Romualdez added.
With 60 new cases reported on Monday (Jan.24) by the Department of Health (DOH)-EV, Tacloban City has currently 697 active COVID-19 cases.
However, with the 5-11 years old kids included in the population to be vaccinated starting February, the city government is hopeful for a much stronger immunity in the community.
Meanwhile, let us remain vigilant and observant of the minimum health protocols. Wearing of facemask, maintaining physical distance, and keeping the immune system strong are still the basic practices to do, especially now that Covid-19 has become highly transmissible.
(TACLOBAN CITY INFORMATION OFFICE)
Mayor Romualdez urged newly-vaccinated Taclobanons to rest as a way to build antibodies against COVID-19
DOH: More areas in EV to be placed under Alert Level 4
As N. Samar to appeal its Alert Level 4 classification
TACLOBAN CITY- A health official of the region has raised an alarm that more areas in the region could be placed under Alert Level 4, the second-highest COVID-19 alert level system due to their increasing hospital bed utilization.
Presently, the province of Northern Samar was classified under Alert Level 4 though this was objected by its provincial health official saying their current condition does not fit the metrics for such classification.
Dr. Marc Steven Capungcol, chief of the Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (RESU) of the Department of Health(DOH), said that among the areas in the region that are likely to be placed under Alert Level 4 are Biliran, and the cities of Tacloban and Ormoc.
These areas, based on the data of the DOH, are experiencing high hospital bed utilization, among the conditions set for an area to be classified under Alert Level 4.
Based on the bulletin issued by the DOH on Monday (Jan.24), Biliran province has the highest hospital bed utilization at 82.93%, followed by Ormoc City at 79.66% and Tacloban City at 78.65%.
Meantime, Leyte’s hospital bed utilization rate is at 63.94%, Samar with 56.59%, Southern Leyte at 47.71%, and Eastern Samar at 25.24%.
Eastern Visayas, at present, has hospital bed utilization at 59.79 percent or at medium risk.
According to Capungcol, the increase in the hospitalization bed rate in these areas are due mainly to the confinement of asymptomatic and mild cases of COVID-19.
“Based on the data, there are many hospitals from these provinces that are still admitting asymptomatic and mild cases,” he said.
And for this situation to be corrected, Capungcol urged the local government units to ask their COVID-19 patients who are asymptomatic or considered as mild cases to just isolate them at their isolation facilities and not brought them to hospitals.
Based on the DOH records, of the region’s 4,004 active COVID-19 cases, 69.11% of them are classified as asymptomatic,30.69% as mild, 0.25% as severe and zero as critical.
Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez earlier made an appeal to his fellow local chief executives to manage their asymptomatic COVID-19 patients at their respective localities to avoid crowding of hospitals of the city.
Romualdez said that only severe and critical cases should be sent to hospitals in the city for medical and health care.
Meantime, Dr.Ninfa Kam, health officer of Northern Samar, said that they will be appealing to the IATF to change the classification of Northern Samar to just Alert Level 3 just like the rest of the region.
For one, she said, their hospital bed utilization rate has not yet reached to 85 to 100 utilization but is just around 36 percent, which is even considered as ‘low risk.’
She also added that their daily attack rate of COVID-19 is just 3.25 percent, which is even lower compared to Leyte’s 7.28 percent.
“We were surprised why Northern Samar was classified under Alert Level 4. That is why, the provincial inter-agency task force will ask for consideration to reclassify us to just Alert Level 3 just like the rest of the region,” Kam said in a radio interview.
She said that the data submitted to the regional DOH from their encoders could have resulted in the placing of Northern Samar under Alert Level 4.
PNP condemns shooting of an intel cop in Northern Samar
(Photo courtesy of Danny Balading)
TACLOBAN CITY – The Philippine National Police (PNP) has condemned the fatal shooting of an intelligence police officer in Catubig, Northern Samar on January 10.
The Police Regional Office 8 (Eastern Visayas) here said the “treacherous” attack against Staff Sgt. Joerel Pajac was a clear violation of human rights.
“We call on witnesses to the incident to cooperate with our police to identify the attackers so that justice will be served,” the PNP said in a statement issued on Tuesday night.
Pajac, 39, a resident of Calingnan village in Catubig town, was assigned to the Northern Samar Police Intelligence Unit.
He was about to disembark from a motorboat when four armed men suddenly appeared and shot him.
The unarmed victim jumped into the water but the gunmen continued shooting at him before fleeing towards San Francisco village.
The victim’s body was recovered floating on the river after more than an hour.
Catubig, a third-class town in Northern Samar, is about 311 km. north from Tacloban, the regional capital.
(SARWELL Q. MENIANO/PNA)
No vax card, no entry now imposed in Tacloban
Other LGUs impose same policy amid EV’s soaring COVID-19 case
TACLOBAN CITY- As this regional capital of Eastern Visayas now under Alert Level 3 beginning Friday (Jan.14), its cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continue to soar in huge numbers.
On Friday, the city logged 128 new cases, a record for the city since the pandemic started in 2020.
Its total cases are now at 453, a figure covering just of the current month.
City Mayor Alfred Romualdez, in a move to address the soaring number of COVID-19 cases of the city, issued an executive order on Thursday, which among others, prohibits unvaccinated individuals to enter any commercial or business establishments.
The same Executive Order 2022-01-001 issued by Romualdez, non-residents of the city who are planning to enter Tacloban but are not fully vaccinated need to present either a negative RT-PCR test administered within 72 hours or a negative antigen test administered within 24 hours to their arrival to the city.
The same directive of the city mayor has formalized the use of the vaccination card as a pass for one to enter government offices and commercial establishments.
It also encourages government offices to adopt a work-from-home or other flexible working arrangement.
Mayor Romualdez issued his appeal for still unvaccinated Taclobanons to get their shots not only to have a ‘defense’ against the deadly virus but also for them to enter establishments and even government offices.
“This is the new normal,” he said, referring to the vaccination need.
He also welcomed non-residents but are working in the city to have themselves vaccinated in Tacloban.
As of Thursday,172,157 city residents have received their first dose of which 150,863 of them are now considered as fully vaccinated or for having received their second shots.
Dr. Gloria Fabrigas, city health officer, said that while cases of COVID-19 in Tacloban is on the uptick, they have not monitored any severe or critical condition.
This could be attributed to the high vaccination rate in the city, she said, adding that almost all of the COVID-19 patients of the city are at their homes for isolation.
“And beginning on Monday, our vaccination campaign will be extended up to seven pm as directed by the city mayor to ensure more people will avail of our vaccination campaign,” Fabrigas said.
In Tabango town, Leyte, priests who are not based in the town but either to officiate or to attend mass relative to the town fiesta on Saturday are also required to present their vaccination cards before they will be allowed entry to the municipality proper.
In Catbalogan City, an executive order issued by Mayor Dexter Uy, directed, among others, that all employees, regardless of their status, are to be fully vaccinated. Otherwise, they have to undergo RT-PCR test or every two weeks at their own expense.
In Borongan City, Mayor Jose Ivan Dayan Agda has ordered that unvaccinated persons are to stay at their homes ‘at all times’ save for medical emergencies purposes.
In Northern Samar, the outpatient department of its provincial hospital was temporarily closed beginning on Thursday due to the number of health workers getting the infection and the surge of patients admitted due to COVID-19.
On Friday, Eastern Visayas also logged its highest single-day cases since the pandemic started for more than two years now.
The Department of Health reported of 450 new cases, bringing the region’s total active cases of COVID-19 to 1,771.
All six provinces of the region have registered new cases with Leyte, which includes Tacloban City, having the highest with 291 cases followed by Northern Samar with 68; Samar, 52; Eastern Samar,32; Southern Leyte, 5; and Biliran, 2. (with report ROEL T. AMAZONA