March 28, 2024

Benguet has listed a total of 49 Covid-19 variants of concern including four Delta cases prompting the call for stricter adherence to the minimum health protocols.
Provincial Health Coordinator, Dr. Maria Imelda Ulep, who is also the provincial incident management team head, reported during the provincial Inter Agency Task Force meeting that Benguet has 33 Alpha, 12 Beta, and four Delta cases.
Ulep said three of the Alpha cases and one each of the Beta and Delta cases have died while 30 of the Alpha and 11 of the Beta cases have already recovered.
The two other Delta cases are still recovering.
Gov. Melchor Diclas said two Delta cases were detected in La Trinidad while one case each was recorded in Tuba and Buguias.
Diclas said the surging Covid-19 cases has overwhelmed the Benguet General Hospital and the various temporary treatment and monitoring facilities.
BeGH is now at 86 percent occupancy rate, which is why the IATF has allowed home isolation for asymptomatic patients who are closely monitored by personnel of the barangay health emergency response teams.
As of Sept. 2, the province logged 698 new active Covid cases. Since the pandemic, the province recorded 10,296 recoveries and 312 deaths.
Stricter border controls and enforcement of the provincial advisory for returning residents and non-Benguet residents to show full vaccination card or negative result of RT-PCR tests prior to entering the province are among the top recommendations of the health sector to mitigate the surging cases.
The health sector also discouraged the uncoordinated transfer of patients from other provinces or LGUs to BeGH that is why it encouraged the establishment of telemedicine or virtual consultation for the various health facilities in Benguet.
The health sector also recommended stricter monitoring and compliance of the minimum public health standards in all levels; encouragement of alternative working arrangements in all sectors; strengthen capacity of the TTMF for conduct of triage for returning residents and overseas Filipino workers and visitors; and granular lockdowns in specific areas affected by Covid-19. – Ofelia C. Empian