“The fight is not over yet.”
Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia said the city’s war against COVID-19 is not over, given that the city – with a population of over half a million – has presently the highest number of confirmed cases in the province.
In a related note, the mayor revealed that Patient 3, the 40-year-old male who succumbed to cardiogenic shock after testing negative twice – has to be classified “as a COVID death”.
The City Health Office earlier did not classify Patient 3 as COVID related as he had already recovered and declared stable, and even tested negative in two succeeding re-tests.
This makes the total number of COVID deaths to three, the mayor added.
On a more positive note, the mayor revealed that the relatives of both Patients 8 and 9 tested negative. These included relatives of Patient 8, a 69-year-old male from Sabes, Villamonte who died of severe respiratory failure and acquired pneumonia 9 April inside the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital.
His relatives had been quarantined in facility here.
Relatives and neighbors of Patient 9, a 65-year-old woman in Banago, had also tested negative in tests.
Still, the mayor said, this is not the time to be complacent.
“Out of nine positive case, we already had three fatalities. We are indeed facing a difficult time, and the seriousness of the fight is still very much there,” he said.
Leonardia observed that the city does not only have the biggest number in terms of population in the province but also the one one with the highest density.
These, the mayor said, are factors that affect the infection rate or the spread of the virus.
He also revealed that there are still 86 pending swab results for specimens sent. Since start of monitoring, the city had already sent 536 specimens; of the number 440 came out negative, nine positive, and one retest (that of Patient 5, a 28 year old male in Taculing) turned out positive.
Which is why, the mayor said, returning OFWs had to subject themselves to go on another 14-day-quarantine upon arrival here, as well as undergo another set of tests to lower the risk of possible infection.
He cited the case of four OFWs who are among the 28 accommodated in a quarantine facility here who tested positive in a rapid test. The four are made to undergo confirmatory RT-PCR tests. Rapid tests detect antibodies and results are inconclusive, unlike the RT-PCR which detects the virus’ genetic material. (READ also The CoviD-19 Saga: What are Antibodies detected by Rapid Tests?)
“It is better to be safe than sorry,” the mayor added, saying the city could not let its guard down as it continues its fight against the virus.
