The entire province of Palawan has been placed under a state of calamity due to the continuous increase in COVID-19 cases.
According to Winston Arzaga, chief of the public information office of Palawan, there were 620 active COVID-19 cases in Palawan on Wednesday.
“Mataas yan, although compared sa ibang probinsiya, mababa pa yan pero sa amin dangerous enough para sa amin. Kinakailangang matugunan ng pamahalaang probinsiya kaya nag declare ng emergency para sa ganun magamit namin ang aming calamity fund para matugunan ang pangangailangan natin,” said Arzaga.
He said the funds will be used to purchase food, antigen kits, and additional PPEs.
“Food packs na kailangang ipreposition natin, yung additional antigen kits para sa ating frontliners na gagamitin sa mga border and then yung importante dito lalong mapablis yung paggawa ng molecular laboratory,” he said.
He said there is already a molecular laboratory in Puerto Princesa and they want to build in Coron and El Nido to speed up the release of the results of the specimens that will be brought there.
Meanwhile, 9,480 vials of Sinovac arrived on Wednesday and will be distributed to municipalities with high COVID-19 cases.
According to the Palawan PIO on Wednesday, the towns with the highest number of COVID-19 active cases are as follows:
Roxas – 123
Bataraza – 93
Brooke’s Point – 72
Coron – 68
Taytay – 61
Palawan placed under state of calamity due to increase in COVID-19 cases
Meanwhile, COVID-19 cases in Cebu remain low, according to the Department of Health-Central Visayas.
In One Cebu-or the combined cities of Cebu, Mandaue, and Lapu-Lapu-there are only 263 active cases, according to Mary Jena Loreche, spokesperson of the agency for health development, while One’s healthcare capacity is at 16 percent.
“We have maintained our cases. Napakababa po ng mga kaso dito. Either new cases or yung ating total active cases,” she said.
“Ang nagpataas po sa ating kaso ngayon (sa rehiyon) ay ang mga kaso sa karatig probinsiya na Bohol and Negros Oriental.”
The swab test continues to be conducted on tourists when they arrive in the province and on their 7th day in quarantine, according to Loreche.
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