The city government is set to deploy more beds at its isolation facilities following the spike in Covid-19 cases in the past two weeks.
In a press conference on July 28, Asst. City Health Services Officer Celia Flor Brillantes said from 45 beds, the local Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases will increase the capacity of the Sto. Niño Jesus isolation facility to 90 beds. For the Teachers’ Camp isolation facility, the second and third floors of the Roxas Hall are also being prepared.
Both facilities will cater to Covid-19 patients with mild symptoms only.
As the city recorded its first 100 cases on Wednesday, City Epidemiologist Donnabel Panes attributed the increase to three factors: expanded testing, increased mobility of the public, and lapses in the observance of minimum health standards.
From 10 to 50 tests per day between March to May, the CHSO now conducts an average of 300 to 800 tests per day.
In the profiling conducted by the City Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit, the average age of those infected by the SARS-Cov2 are 41 years old while the age range of those infected are between eight months to 79 years old, of which 17 percent are senior citizens and five percent are less than 18 years old.
In terms of gender, 53 percent of those who acquired the virus are females and 47 percent males. In terms of travel history, 68 percent do not have travel history and 32 percent have travel history. In terms of severity of symptoms, 56 percent are asymptomatic or those who did not exhibit symptoms and 41 percent showed mild to moderate symptoms meaning they only experienced mild cough and losing sense of smell and taste.
Panes said Baguio has recorded only one severe case but the patient is already recovering. The number of deaths stands at two.
Those who acquired the virus recently are drivers, health workers, vendors, bank workers, locally stranded-individuals, and senior citizens.
Fifty-eight out of the 128 barangays of Baguio have recorded one or more cases. Barangays Camp 7, Middle Quezon Hill, Irisan, Guisad Central, Bakakeng Central, New Lucban, and San Vicente registered four to five cases each.
Because of the increased mobility, CHSO officials has reminded the public to continue to follow the minimum health standards to avoid spreading or acquiring the virus.
Brillantes warned there is a possibility of local transmission when people stay in enclosed spaces such as offices because of the rainy season. There is no report yet of transmission in workplaces but non-use of masks indoors increases the possibility of exposure to a carrier, she said.
“We put our guards down when we take down our masks,” Brillantes said, as she reminded that apart from the usual sanitation the public should not remove masks except when to eat or drink.
Apart from masks, Brillantes and Tubera have advised individuals to use face shield for added protection when in crowded places.
They also recommend individuals to constantly change their masks. Brillantes said the ideal is for one person to use at least three masks in one day – one when going out of the house then replace the mask upon arriving in the workplace, then change again when going home.
“The virus is waiting for the right moment to infect you. But if we follow all the minimum health standards, we can control the spread of the disease by 80 percent,” Tubera said.
The CHSO officials also appealed to the public not to spread information about those who recently tested positive of the Covid-19. Sharing of information about the personal details of any patient is a violation of the Data Privacy Act, they said.
Mayor Benjamin Magalong has also ordered an investigation of who leaked the personal details of the patients. – Rimaliza A. Opiña
April 26, 2024
