Davao de Oro welcomes 2022!

The Provincial Government of Davao de Oro welcomes the first official working day for the year 2022 thru a flag-raising ceremony and a holy mass at the Provincial Capitol Lobby on January 3, 2022.

Governor Uy in his message highlighted the achievements of the provincial government; a product of the bayanihan governance, which brought recognition in the province despite the challenges of pandemic.

The governor also cited that the provincial government will also extend help for the province of Bohol which was also affected by Typhoon Odette last year. It can be recalled that the province previously sent its ‘Walang Iwanan Team’ in Surigao City last December of 2021 to extend relief aids for the affected families by using its quick response fund amounting to 3 million pesos plus an additional in-kind donation from private donors.

The province will also heighten its vaccination roll-out, fixated on the goal of achieving herd immunity in the next month, getting ready for the threat of the new Covid-19 variant, the Omicron.

Further, an awarding ceremony was also held the same day giving recognition to 53 employees and 17 offices of the provincial government who passed the licensure examinations, graduating from master’s degree and other awards in the past year.

Among the highlighted awards are the End Hunger Program Team (National CSC Honor Awards Program Awardee), Oplan Liwanag Team (Regional CSC Honor Awards Program Awardee), E-Gov Technical Team (Regional CSC Honor Awards Program Awardee), and the Quality Management System Core Team.

A Mass and a convocation were also offered enjoined by Governor Tyron Uy, Senior Board Member Arturo Uy, Vice Governor Maricar Zamora, Congressman Manuel Zamora, Provincial Administrator Virgilia Allones, DILG Provincial Director Noel Duarte, CSC Davao de Oro Nelly Esperanza, and employees of the provincial government.

Thankful for all the achievements in the year 2021, Gov. Uy emboldens governance with humility, empathy, appreciation, respect, and trust for a better Davao de Oro. (JA, PAO-IPRD)

Philippines now at ‘high risk’ for Covid-19

(Photo: file)

 

By: LAUREEN MONDONEDO-YNOT, SunStar Manila

THE Philippines has now been classified as “high risk” for coronavirus disease (Covid-19), with the Department of Health (DOH) noting a positive two-week growth rate, an official said Monday, January 3, 2022.

In a media forum, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said that as of January 2, 2022, epidemic curves showed that the average daily cases have declined since September, but the current average daily cases have increased significantly by 570 percent this week (December 20-January 2), which is seven times higher than in previous weeks.

She added that the major island groups in the country are also starting to show signs of increasing cases, while the National Capital Region (NCR), which has been placed under Alert Level 3 from January 3 to 15, 2022, showed a “sharp uptick” in cases in the recent weeks.

“There was a positive two-week growth rate at 222 percent and moderate risk average daily attack rate of 1.07 cases for every 100,000 individuals in the recent weeks,” she said.

Vergeire added that cases in the recent one-week also showed a positive increase.

She said, though, that the national health systems capacity remained at low risk, with total bed utilization at 18 percent and intensive care unit (ICU) utilization at 22 percent.

In the NCR, she said while the one-week and two-week growth rate are considered “high risk,” the health system capacity remains to be under 50 percent utilization.

Aside from NCR, five other regions -- Calabarzon, Central Luzon, Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao and Davao Region -- also showed a positive one-week and two-week growth rates.

“These regions are low to moderate risk case classification. The rest of the regions show positive increase in cases only in the recent one week,” said Vergeire.

She added that the healthcare utilization rate in all regions remain to be at low risk.

“As of January 1, the national healthcare utilization remains to be at low risk at 18 percent. This is two percent higher than the reported utilization rate last December 25 or one week prior, which was at 16 percent,” Vergeire said.

As to the number of individuals testing positive for the virus, Vergeire said an increase in cases, as well as in positivity rate was seen across all regions.

The largest increase was for NCR, where numbers jumped from 932 to 13,756 for the recent week, she said.

Calabarzon, meanwhile, had 2,792 individuals testing positive from just 290 in the previous week.

Hospital admissions also increased by nine percent, while allocated beds decreased by two percent or 883 beds.

In NCR, while total bed utilization remains to be at low risk at 24 percent, admissions are seen to be increasing in the recent week

“Over the course of one week, the NCR saw a 49 percent increase in admissions accompanied by a one percent or 86 bed increase in allocated beds,” Vergeire said.

The DOH continued to remind the public to observe the minimum public health standards to prevent the increase in the number of Covid-19 cases.