In a late night conversation with Sec. Carlito Galvez Jr, Sec. Berna Puyat and Sec. Vince Dizon, Gov. Yap is able to secure additional vaccines for Bohol. In fact, Sec. Puyat and Sec. Dizon are set to arrive this week to personally oversee the vaccination efforts of the province especially to the A4 category, an exclusive report provided to The Bohol Tribune just before deadline on Aug. 7, 2021 says.
It was Bohol which started to inoculate A4 category especially on the tourism frontliners as the vaccines were personally requested by Sec. Puyat to the National Inter Agency Task Force (IATF) due to the insistence and constant follow ups made by Gov. Yap to Puyat’s office.
The meeting among the said Cabinet secretaries was arranged by Gov. Yap, himself, in connection to the Bakuna 40K project wherein the Provincial Government of Bohol (PGBh) aims to inoculate additional 40, 000 Boholanos for the month of August.
Gov. Yap thanked Sec. Puyat, Sec. Dizon, and Sec. Galvez for their unwavering support to Bohol’s vaccination programs, which ensures safety and protection among Boholanos.
Sources say that Puyat and Dizon will be bringing 7,500 vaccine doses, about 5,000 doses are Sinovac vaccines and 2,500 doses are jabs made by the American-company Moderna.
DOH PLACES BOHOL UNDER ALERT LEVEL 2
In another developme’t, the Department of Health (DOH) puts Bohol under Alert Level 2 following the release of the agency’s 4-tier classification on Friday, Aug. 6, 2021, according to the report released by the Provincial Information and Media Relations (PRIMER).
The report added that it means that the number of Coronavirus disease (Covid) cases is declining but the health care utilization rate, the number of beds/facilities used by Covid patients, is increasing.
Yap, during the weekly press conference on Friday, Aug. 6, 2021, cited why there is a need to implement border closure in Bohol which is due to the rising infection rates caused by the presence of the Delta variant in neighboring provinces, particularly in Cebu province.
He revealed to the members of the media that most of the active cases now in Bohol are classified as symptomatic.
“Two months ago our cases were mostly asymptomatic, registering at 70% of the total active cases. Walay gipangbati nga simtomas ang mga pasyente. But today [Friday], based on the data from DOH, only 35% are asymptomatic and rest are manifesting symptoms whether it is mild, moderate or severe,” the governor said.
He pointed out that the increase of symptomatic cases has clogged our health care facilities. Thus, occupancy rate in the designated Covid ward, Covid isolation beds and Covid intensive care units (ICU) in Bohol’s Level 2 and Level 3 hospitals is at a critical level.
He added: “Bisan pa ug niubos ang gidaghanon sa atong mga kaso gikan sa 1500 plus niadtong 3rd week sa June ug karon anaa nalang sa 800 kapin, nagpabilin nga puno ang atong mga tambalanan sa mga pasyente. Kung sa karong panahona, nga wala pay nadetect nga Delta Variant sa Bohol, puno na daan ang atong mga hospital, unsa nalang kaha ang mahitabo kung simbako makasulod ang Delta Variant?”
According to data obtained by The Bohol Tribune, Covid isolation bed utilization rate of the Infirmaries in Bohol is at 68%.
The Covid ward bed usage rate is at 14%, according to the same data set provided by sources from the Bohol Inter Agency Task Force (BIATF).
For Level 1 hospitals, the health care utilization rates are as follows: Covid ICU usage rate is at 100%, Covid ward beds utilization is at 54%, Covid isolation beds usage is at 75% and Covid mechanical ventilator usage is at 25%.
For level 2 hospitals, the health care utilization rates are as follows: Covid ICU -50%, Covid isolation beds- 68%, Covid mechanical ventilators utilization -10%.
Moreover, the data for health care utilization rates for Level 3 hospitals are Covid ICU is at 93%, Covid ward usage rate is at 44%, Covid isolation beds utilization rate is at 85% and Covid mechanical ventilator usage rate is at 69%.
According to the DOH, any health care facility that reaches 60% of its utilization is considered critical.
The governor also cited that the case fatality rate in Bohol has gone up to 2.8% in July 2022 from 1.8% in June 2021 and 1.3% in May 2021.
Any case fatality rate above 2% is considered high by the DOH, the governor told the media.
Based on the data, most fatalities due to Covid in Bohol were aged 51 years old and above.
Furthermore, Bohol’s Average Daily Attack Rate (ADAR) is 5.65. This means 5 to 6 persons per 100, 000 Boholanos could be infected by the virus.
In terms of Covid patient management, Yap was happy to inform the media that the utilization rate of the Temporary Treatment and Monitoring Facilities (TTMF) in the provinces has increased to 32% in July 2021 from 16% in June 2021.
However, the governor was not pleased upon knowing that 39% of Bohol’s active cases are still managed under home isolation.
He reiterated his order to the Bohol mayors not to allow home isolation for Covid patients.
Yap said, “Klaro ang atong mando nga dili tugutan ang home isolation. Kung magpadayon pa kini sa sunod semana, akong hangyoon ang DILG [Department of the Interior and Local Government] DOH nga ipagawas ang listahan sa mga lungsod sa nagpatuman ug home isolation ug imbestigahan sila aron sila na mismo ang manubag sa katawhan.”
PREPARATIONS
Yap informed the public of the steps that are being implemented by his administration in managing the Covid infection in the province.
He said that the provincial government of Bohol (PGBh) is negotiating with the health care facilities in the province to increase its designated Covid beds.
Yap added, “Gi-andam usab nato ang CIC [Central Isolation Center] o ang karaang Capitol Annex Building saona nga duol sa BMCI [Bohol Medical Care Institute] ug ang atong Bohol Cultural Center aron mamahimong 100-bed step-down facility sa Gallares Hospital. Buot pasabot ang mga pasyente nga nagpositibo sa COVID-19 ug naadmit sa Gallares Hospital, ug dili na critical ang kahimtang, adto nato sila patiwason sa ilang pagpaayo sa atong step-down facility aron atong ma de-clogged o maluagan ang occupancy sa Gallares Hospital.”
The Yap-Relampagos administration is also hiring additional nurses, medtechs and doctors to man the step-down facility.
Based on the scenario seen in Cebu, the PGBh has also purchased medical-grade oxygen tanks and low-flow oxygen supply for the step-down facilities.
Yap also ordered the mayors to purchase these supplies for their respective TTMFs.
The governor said, “Nangayo kita ug lista sa mga tambal nga maoy gigamit sa atong mga tambalanan sa pagtreat sa mga COVID-19 nga pasyente ug ato na karong gi-andam ang pagprocure sa mga tambal aron aduna kitang supply ug stock kung simbako magkinahanglan kita.”
VACCINATION NUMBERS
Currently, 99,897 Boholanos have already completed the two-dose vaccination while 91, 644 have already been inoculated with the first dose and are waiting for their scheduled second dose.