25 Region 6 Brgys. Report Clustering of Covid-19 Cases

Twenty-five barangays in Western Visayas have been identified to have clustering of cases from July 20 to August 3, the Department of Health Western Visayas Center for Health Development (DOH-CHD 6) said.

“There are two or more cases in the last 14 days in the same barangay,” said Dr. Renilyn Reyes, spokesperson for DOH-CHD 6 in a virtual presser.

LThe 14-day period is based on the onset of symptoms if the patient is symptomatic but if asymptomatic is based on the start of the collection of the specimen.

The most number of cases clustering is in Bacolod City with 16 barangays, Iloilo City with five, Negros Occidental has three, and Iloilo province has one barangay.

In Bacolod, the clustering is in barangays Estefania with 17 cases; Banago, 14; Tangub, nine; Barangay 2, eight; Taculing, seven; Mansilingan, six; Alijis, four; three cases each in Bata, Granada, Singcang-Airport and Mandalagan; and two cases each in Barangay 26, 27, 29, Handumanan and Vista Alegre.

In Iloilo City, the clustering can be found in barangays Pali-Benedicto with 16; Bo. Obrero, eight; Bolilao, three and two each in Bonifacio-Tanza and Sto. Nino Sur.
The barangays of Lag-asan, Bago City; Barangay 6, San Carlos City and Avida Village, Talisay City, all in Negros Occidental have two cases each.

Barangay Buray, Oton in Iloilo province has four cases.

“They are local cases. They have no history of travel outside of Western Visayas,” Reyes said.

With the increasing local cases, Reyes said the strategy to arrest the increasing cases is still the “basics”, which are the proper infection control procedure and decrease in the mobility of the population.

“Decreasing the mobility of the population would really decrease the spread of Covid-19. That is why we have quarantine protocols in our local government units that should be followed,” she said.

DOH likewise launched the BIDA solution which stands for Bawal ang walang mask; Isanitize ang mga kamay, iwas-hawak sa mga bagay; Dumistansya ng isang metro and Alamin ang totoong impormasyon.
“This BIDA solution would emanate from every person, not necessarily in an organization, in an agency of the government,” she added.