Bacolod City – Mayor Renato Gustilo has issued an executive order lifting the state of health emergency declaration in San Carlos City, Negros Occidental.
In his issued executive order, Gustilo said there is a need to lift the state of health emergency in San Carlos since the number of amoebiasis cases already went down.
As of this time, 24 amoebiasis patients are admitted at the San Carlos City Hospital.
In a press briefing recently, Department of Health officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said that based on the investigations conducted by DOH epidemiologists she sent to San Carlos City, not all cases in San Carlos City are amoebiasis.
Comparing to records in previous years, Vergeire added it may not be considered as basis for the local government to declare the state of health emergency.
On February 22, Gustilo declared a state of health emergency in San Carlos City, due to the increasing cases of amoebiasis, where two children died and the number of victims rose to the hundreds.
According to the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention, amoebiasis is an intestinal illness which is spread through human feces.
Local health authorities have traced the infections to contaminated water sources as well as street food sold at a school.
Joe Rocalex Alingasa, spokesperson of the City Disaster Risk and Reduction Management Office head, disclosed that they city government will continue to promote the water sanitation hygiene, despite the dwindling number of amoebiasis cases.
“Waterworks system to improve maintenance for water safety and monitoring of water refilling stations complying the National Drinking Water Standards will continue,” Alingasa further said. (Gilbert Bayoran via The Visayan Daily Star (TVDS), photo courtesy of TVDS)