A key official of the Department of Health in Region 7 (DOH-7) on Thursday said the island-province of Siquijor should increase its border patrol and strengthen its protocols against the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) amid a sudden rise in infections.
Dr. Mary Jean Loreche, chief pathologist of the DOH-7, in an interview with the Philippine News Agency, confirmed reports that the number of Covid-19 cases in Siquijor has increased, possibly due to “breach in protocols”.
As of Sept. 15, records from the DOH-7 showed there were 87 new positive Covid-19 cases on the island.
These are distributed in the municipalities of Larena — 49; Siquijor, 17; Maria — eight; Enrique Villanueva — six; San Juan — four; and Lazi — three.
Siquijor Covid-19 Task Force spokesperson and Sangguniang Kabataan chair Brylle Tumapong reported last Tuesday that the province has logged 108 active cases.
Loreche said Siquijor’s Covid-19 response and management is critical at this time when the cases are on the rise.
She said DOH-7 is not providing any intervention unless officially requested by the province of Siquijor, but they can guide the Covid-19 task force and the local Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) to contain the spread of the virus.
“That is why their Covid-19 task force should sit down and analyze data and then come up with interventions and if there is a need to seek help and guidance from the DOH, then they can connect with us,” she added.
Loreche also said Siquijor does not have a single Delta variant case so far. (PNA)