Bacolod City – Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson recently said that he is entertaining the possibility of declaring a state of calamity in Negros Occidental, in the wake of surging dengue cases in the province.
Lacson, however, said that he will have to consult with Provincial Health Officer Dr. Ernell Tumimbang to determine if the dengue cases are still manageable.
Personally, Lacson said “dengue cases in Negros have reached alarming levels.”
Records of the Department of Health-Western Visayas showed that dengue cases in Negros Occidental rose to 1,869 cases with 10 deaths in the past six months of this year, an increase of 777 percent compared to 233 cases over the same period last year.
Negros Occidental ranks number one number in terms of dengue cases among the provinces and highly-urbanized cities in Western Visayas.
DOH-WV records also showed that dengue cases in Bacolod City are also up by 159 percent.
DOH-Western Visayas is sending a team in Negros Occidental to help the provincial government in dealing with the surging cases, according to Lacson.
The Provincial Health Office reported that the dengue attack rate in Negros Occidental is 78.1 cases per 100,000 of the total population.
Himamaylan City tops the 31 local government units of the province, with highest number of dengue cases at 197, while EB Magalona has the lowest number of dengue cases at four.
Pontevedra got the highest increase in percentage, from one in 2021 to 87 this year, an increase of 8,700 percent.
The Sanggunian Panlalawigan of Antique recently placed the province under a state of calamity due to dengue cases reported in all of its 18 municipalities.
Antique trails Negros Occidental in the number of dengue cases, at 1,409, with four deaths from January to July 2, 2022, which is 674 percent higher than last year’s records, DOH-WV further showed.(Gilbert Bayoran via tvds photo by tvds)
