Doctors request to place Negros Oriental under ECQ

A group of doctors in Negros Oriental demanded that the province be returned to enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) due to the kick-off of COVID-19 cases there.

“We know that there is this rapid rise in cases more than the hospitals can handle, we know that we are losing precious lives, we know that we have so many critically ill and not enough resources,” said Negros Oriental Medical Society.

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The Negros Oriental inter-agency task force has not yet commented on the doctors’ call.

As of last Sunday, there were 1,091 active COVID-19 cases in Negros Oriental, the highest number of active cases in the Central Visayas region.

The provincial health office also reported on Friday that 3 hospitals – the Negros Oriental Provincial Hospital, Holy Child Hospital, and ACE Dumaguete Doctor’s Hospital – have reached maximum capacity.

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On Sunday, Dumaguete City Mayor Felipe Antonio Remollo announced that he was positive for COVID-19. The said city is the capital of the province.

Experts previously announced that despite the decrease in COVID-19 cases in Metro Manila, cases have increased in some regions.

Doctors request to place Negros Oriental under ECQ

Meanwhile, the OCTA Research group urged the government Monday to vaccinate 50% of the population in Metro  and six other areas at high risk to achieve herd immunity.

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The team of experts said 50% of the people living in Metro Manila and the cities of Tuguegarao, Santiago, Baguio, Cainta, Cebu, and Imus should be vaccinated due to their high COVID-19  rates.

The vaccination drive would need 15.96 million doses for a total of 7.98 million people.

“In many countries that have vaccinated 50% of the population, there has been an immediate impact on herd containment of COVID-19. This is the immediate target in high-risk areas,” the experts said.

OCTA research added that 30% to 40% of the population in moderate-high risk areas and 20% to 30% of the population in moderate risk areas should be inoculated against COVID-19.

It would need 7.3 million doses for moderate-high risk areas and 3.08 million doses for moderate risk areas.

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