NextGen Day

The Department of Health (DOH) justified the government’s decision to elevate Alert Level 4 in Northern Samar until January 31 on Saturday, claiming that the province has already filled 80 percent of its bed capacity for patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).

An escalation to Alert Level 4 signifies that a region has a health-care use rate of moreover 70%, as well as frighteningly high two-week growth and average daily attack rates, according to Malacanang (ADAR).

“Gusto ko lang hong ipaliwanag, iyon pong naging desisyon ng IATF (Interagency Task Force) sa pag-escalate to Alert Level 4, ang Northern Samar po nakapag-dedicate na po sila ng 80 percent of their beds for Covid-19,” said a Northern Samar official. Ang ibig sabihin po noon, 20 percent na lang po ang kanilang natitira na capacity kung saka-sakaling tataas pa ang mga kaso (I just want to clarify that the IATF’s decision to escalate Northern Samar to Alert Level 4 is due to the fact that they have already committed 80 percent of their beds to Covid-19). If cases continue to climb, that indicates they only have 20% left),” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire stated during the Laging Handa briefing.

In terms of health-care utilization, Vergeire rated the province as “high risk.”

“So para po maibsan at saka ma-control muna ang pagdami ng kaso at ma-manage natin ang kanilang health care system capacity, kaya po napagdesisyunan na i-escalate sila,” she continued.

Kalinga, Ifugao, Mountain Province, and Northern Samar were also placed on Alert Level 4 on January 21.

Dr. Ninfa Caparroso-Kam, the Provincial Health Officer of Northern Samar, said the province would petition the IATF to rethink and reclassify the area to Alert Level 3.

She claimed the province made a mistake when it included beds in isolation facilities in its hospital bed tracker.

“Iyong nasa isolation facility, they are our health-care personnel who have mild symptoms and have been placed in isolation.” So, since akala nila na dapat ibilang ito, i-include it in my bed tracker count. So, unfortunately, na-isama ito, kaya I assume ito iyong pinagbasehan ng IATF para ilagay kami sa (Those in the isolation facility, these are our health-care personnel who developed moderate symptoms.) We reasoned that they should be counted as well. So, sadly, I believe this was the basis for the IATF’s decision to place us on (Alert Level 4),” she said.

She also stated that for a province such as Northern Samar to reach Alert Level 4, the ADAR must be at least 7%.

She stated that it is only at 3.25 in their situation.

Furthermore, the doubling time must be larger than 200 to be considered critical, but the province is only at “84 to a hundred,” according to Kam.

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