TACLOBAN CITY – A total of 4,030 coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) patients in Eastern Visayas have recovered from the illness, the Department of Health (DOH) reported on Wednesday. The number represents 86.04 percent of the region’s total confirmed cases since March at 4,684, DOH Eastern Visayas head Minerva Molon said in a virtual presser.
Citing reports from the regional epidemiology and surveillance unit, the health official said 3,670 patients in the region are asymptomatic, 966 have mild symptoms, 21 are severe, and 26 are critical. “Almost six percent of our patients were hospitalized and the rest were managed in the local community isolation units and temporary treatment and monitoring facilities,” she said.
To date, the region has 612 active cases, with the addition of 95 new infections reported Tuesday night. Samar recorded 72 new cases, 51 in Calbayog City, 10 in Jiabong, eight in Catbalogan City, two in Basey, and one in Hinabangan. In Leyte, 11 more have been infected –five in Tolosa, three in Hilongos, two in Palo, and one in Jaro.
The cities of Tacloban and Ormoc have eight and two new cases each, respectively, while Catarman in Northern Samar has two new coronavirus patients. “We have noted an increase in new cases this week. The region recorded 378 cases from Sept. 16 to 22 and 421 from Sept. 23 to 29,” Molon said.
The regional office also reported that a 66-year-old male patient here from Marabut town in Samar died due to Covid-19 on Sept. 25. This brings the region’s death tally to 42 or 0.90 percent of the total cases. With this current situation, the regional office urged village officials to step-up its implementation of minimum public health standards to break the chain of transmission.
Molon said the Barangay (village) Health Emergency Response Team (BHERT) plays a crucial role in this fight as the first line of support in monitoring close contacts, suspected, probable, and confirmed coronavirus patients in the communities. “The BHERTs in different communities have been contributing much in this fight. Let us know and approach them as they are always ready to assist you,” she said, urging the public to immediately report to them anyone experiencing flu-like symptoms.
Based on the DOH data, 2,898 cases in the region were due to local transmission, 1,692 of them are locally stranded individuals from other regions, 91 are overseas Filipino workers, and three are Balik Probinsya, Balik Pag-asa program beneficiaries. (PNA)
