Health expert: Residents still not safe from Covid-19

Department of Health Center for Health Development-Northern Mindanao (DOHCHD-NM) Regional Director Dr. Adriano Suba-an  urges the public to religiously observe the policy on social distancing, hand washing, proper cough etiquette, and staying at home during the Normin COVID-19 Response Task Force Press Conference, April 21, in Cagayan de Oro City. VPSB/PIA-10 photo

Reposted from Mindanao Daily News

CAGAYAN de Oro City--A health official yesterday stressed the importance of being prepared and to help prevent the spread of Coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) saying that "we are still not safe."

In a news conference, Department of Health Center for Health Development-Northern Mindanao (DOHCHD-NM) Regional Director Dr. Adriano Suba-an said: "There is a possibility nga mukalat na pud ang positive cases (the [COVID-19] positive cases will still spread). This is the golden window to prepare. We are reminding everyone that we are still not safe from COVID-19."

Suba-an urged the public to religiously observe the policy on social distancing, hand washing, proper cough etiquette, and staying at home.

He said the health department has already given personal protective equipment (PPEs), cadaver bags, disinfectants and other materials across all provinces in the region all amounting to P3,916,444.

PPE sets are prioritized to the hospitals. So far, based on the data, DOH-10 has not recorded any COVID-19 case from health personnel who took care of COVID-19 confirmed patients in the region.

As for the use of rapid test kits, Suba-an said rapid test kits will be used by the doctors to determine and interpret the symptoms of their patients. "Each of the test kits is unique. We do not recommoned bisag kinsa ra ang mugamit (just anybody to use it)," the regional director added.

On the breakdown of test kit allocation per province or city, Suba-an said the allocation will depend on the number of cases in an area. "It should be equitably distributed," he said. DOH-10 is prioritizing those areas, which need more kits because there are really areas, which still do not have COVID-19 cases.

Also, the department would further strengthen Executive order No. 51 or the "Philippine Milk Code" especially during public health emergencies like the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

As of April 20, Northern Mindanao still has 11 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with 5 recovered patients who tested negative during their second confirmatory tests, 4 have expired, and 2 are confined in the hospital. With a report from Recthie T. Paculba and Vincent Philip Bautista of PIA-10