- MITCH M. LIPA
More hospital personnel have been infected by the coronavirus disease since some of the non-COVID patients were only found positive during the rapid antigen testing, so the attending medical staff members were also affected.
Provincial Administrator, Atty. Rayfrando Diaz, said this means that a lot of asymptomatic patients are just roaming around, with most of them unaware that they can transmit the COVID-19 virus to others.
The Teresita L. Jalandoni Provincial Hospital in Silay City said 21 of its personnel are under quarantine. Of the number, seven medical staff members, including doctors and nurses, were confirmed positive for COVID, eight are contact trace high risk employees, and six others still under observation but already isolated.
The hospital management announced Jan. 16 the reduction in the OB-Gyne admissions since most of the affected frontliners belong to this department.
Some Capitol employees were also found COVID positive in the latest swab testing, Diaz said, adding that since they are asymptomatic, they were advised to undergo strict home quarantine, especially if they were fully vaccinated.
He said the increase in cases is a post-holiday effect since a lot of people traveled last December when Negros Occidental and Bacolod City were placed under Alert Level 2, and became complacent in observing the minimum health protocols of physical distancing and gathering of people in closed spaces.
“What is important is that most of these affected personnel are not admitted in any medical facility,” he added. | MML
