CEBU CITY – Amid the rising cases of COVID-19, the Department of Health-Central Visayas (DOH 7) has allocated more COVID-19 beds in hospitals.
The rising cases have also prompted the DOH 7 to reactivate isolation centers, said DOH 7 regional director Jaime Bernadas.
Bernadas pointed out that while the COVID-19 cases in the region have been increasing, occupancy rate in hospitals has not reached critical levels.
Based on the DOH standards, safe levels for hospital occupancy should not exceed 60 percent.
“Allocating more COVID-19 beds and reactivating isolation centers are in preparation in case there will be an overflow of cases in the different hospitals,” said Bernadas.
Bernadas disclosed that the region has 52 percent occupancy rate in both government and private hospitals.
The rate last month was between 25 and 40 percent only.
"Our health system is still not overwhelmed and we are still responding adequately even with the rising number of cases."
DOH 7 data showed that in the past two weeks, the DOH-7 data showed that cases in Cebu province increased by 87 percent with a daily attack rate of 1.48 percent.
In Cebu City, 61 percent increase in its active cases with an average daily attack rate of 9 percent was noted.
Cases increased by 100 percent in Lapu-Lapu City, while Mandaue City also recorded a 41 percent increase.
Region 7 had 9,311 active cases as of July 19 with Negros Oriental having the most actives cases with 3,217.
Bohol had 2,261 active cases followed by Cebu City with 1,484. Cases in Cebu province have gone back to more than 1,000 cases with 1,250.