Prov’l board member, PIO lensman tested positive of Covid; Prov’l Capitol-run hospitals not full

A Negros Occidental Provincial Board Member and a Public Information Office (PIO) staff tested positive of COVID-19.

Provincial administrator, Atty. Rayfrando Diaz, confirmed to reporters that Board Member Rommel Debulgado of the 1st district, and a cameraman assigned at the PIO were tested positive.

Debulgado who had symptoms like loss of smell and taste exhibited since Thursday last week, is now at the Mambukal Mountain Resort for isolation.

The PIO employee, whose identity is being withheld, was immediately sent to Mambukal Tuesday for the mandatory quarantine.

Diaz said Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson was tested negative of Covid-19 on Tuesday. Lacson turned out a close contact of Debulgado, the reason the governor underwent another RT-PCR test.

The PIO is closed for disinfection effective yesterday August 4, 2021 and the employees were isolated and are set to undergo RT-PCR tests five days after their exposure with the positive co-employee.

The cameraman also covered an event attended by Governor Lacson in San Carlos City Friday last week but they were on different vehicles, the provincial administrator added.

The two police officers who were with the cameraman in the same vehicle tested negative, Diaz also added.

Debulgado is the latest member of the Sanggunian Panlalawigan of Negros Occidental to test positive of coronavirus infection. Board Members Andrew Montelibano, Samson Merjan, Frederick Ko and Valentino Miguel Alonzo had previously been infected with the deadly virus.

HOSPITALS

On the other hand, Atty. Diaz said that the hospitals operated by the provincial government are not overwhelmed at this time, including those that cater to COVID patients.

Under the One Hospital Command System, the Teresita L. Jaladoni Provincial Hospital in Silay City, he said, only has 116 occupied beds, while 82 beds are vacant.

The Lorenzo Zayco District Hospital in Kabankalan City has 71 beds occupied; Cadiz City District Hospital only 17; Valladolid District Hospital 15; Valeriano Gatuslao Hospital in Himamaylan City 26; and Merciditas Montilla Hospital in Sipalay City has only 1 bed occupied, “these are non-COVID patients,” Diaz pointed out.

The One Hospital Command System, Diaz said, allows real time monitoring of the hospital operations including occupancies.

Diaz said the mayors have already indicated their intention to participate in the One Hospital System, including the small hospitals.

“Our situation is far better compared to other provinces having high cases of COVID-19. We are hoping to continue with the situation of having a decreasing cases of Covid-19,” Diaz said.

He also said that currently the province has not received any request for augmentation of oxygen supplies from Cebu whose supplies of oxygen have been scares due to high cases of COVID-19.* (With report from PNV)