NOTE: THIS STORY WAS FIRST PUBLISHED IN THE BOHOL CHRONICLE’S PRINT EDITION.
Gov. Art Yap confirmed in a statement the presence of three variants that have infected some of the COVID 19 patients in Bohol.
Based on the findings of the Phil Genome Center, some swab samples showed the presence of Alpha Variant (first detected in the UK), Beta Variant (first detected in South Africa) and Theta Variant.
Because of these, no more home quarantine is allowed for those found positive with COVID 19 and those first generation should be taken swab samples for PCR testing.
As of Friday, Central Visayas recorded 8,295 active cases.
Negros Oriental still has the most number of cases at 3,639; followed by Bohol, with 2,244, and Cebu City, 1,005.
Cebu province recorded 701 active cases while Siquijor has 20.
Positivity rate in the region was recorded at 9.31 percent, which is higher than the World Health Organization threshold of five percent.
Critical care occupancy rate in 14 public and private hospitals remains in the safe zone at 32.7 percent.
As of yesterday there are 1,164 COVID 19 cases in the province.
The top 5 areas are: Tagbilaran, 228; Carmen, 83;Inabanga, 72;Dauis, 43;Guindulman, 40;Candijay 40.
UNIFORMED CURFEW, NO MASS GATHERINGS
With COVID 19 cases still beyond 1,100 as of yesterday, the Bohol Inter-Agency Task Force is strictly mandating at least two major health protocols on curfew and the prohibition on mass gatherings.
The uniformed curfew in all 47 municipalities and the capital city is expected to commence on July 20 from 10 in the evening up to 4 in the morning. This is a long overdue policy since the towns have varied curfew hours leading to its weak implementation.
The public clamor for a 24/7 Hotline is now tapping the lines of TARSIER 117 which is now the command center of the Emergency Operations Center (EOC), according to Dr. Anthony Damalerio, head of the Prov’l Disaster and Risk Reduction Management Office (PDRRMO). During a check made by DYRD’s InyongAlagad program last Thursday, the set-up of the Hotline 24/7 gives the public an instant answering of their phones at any time of the day.
However, queries on basic health protocols could not be answered by the attending TARSIER personnel as they will still ask the callers to refer their queries to the health officers concerned.
During a radio survey conducted the other week, the public wished to have these Hotlines 24/7 answer basic queries such as, in what health condition of a person would be required for one to go to the nearest hospital. But, when asked about such a general query, the attending TARSIER personnel asked the caller to just call their health offices without giving any referral contact numbers.
The new PDRRMO building was supposed to open after its inauguration last Friday. However, Gov. Art Yap postponed the event as he is awaiting the availability of guests from Manila who can not fly to the province prior to the State of the Nation Address (SONA) of Pres. Duterte.
The governor prefers to have a big fanfare during its inauguration.
Meanwhile, Gov. Yap reiterated his appeal for the Boholanos to avoid mass gatherings and do the basic health protocol of social distancing and wearing of masks.
The governor who is continuously doing his town sorties to distribute P100K checks for barangay waterworks projects was seen talking to senior citizens without wearing his mask in a distance not considered within what is prescribed in the basic health protocol.
Netizens criticized such display of gross violation of basic health protocols by the top provincial official.
“Ngano mosonod man mi nga ang gobernador mismo wala man pod motorman sa ilang gimando sa katawhan,” a netizen commented.