DUMAGUETE CITY, Negros Oriental, Oct. 8 (PIA) -- Negros Oriental logged 251 additional cases of COVID-19 infection as of Oct. 7, 2021. 

Assistant Provincial Health Officer and Provincial Inter-Agency Task Force - Emerging Infectious Disease (PIATF - EID) Incident Ground Commander Dr. Liland Estacion, in her virtual press conference on Oct. 7, said the number is an accumulated figure of cases covering Oct. 5, 6, and 7. 

Results came from various Department of Health (DOH) accredited testing centers in Negros Island. 

The breakdown of new cases are as follows: Basay (1), Bayawan City (17), Sta. Catalina (7), Siaton (18), Zamboanguita (2), Dauin (2), Bacong (16), Valencia (3), Dumaguete City (61), Sibulan (20), San Jose (2), Amlan (9), Tanjay City (11), Pamplona (4), Bais City (10), Mabinay (1), Manjuyod (4), Bindoy (3), Ayungon (3), Tayasan (5), Jimalalud (4), La Libertad (11), Guihulngan City (24), Vallehermoso (2), and Canlaon City (11).

There are also 17 additional deaths related to COVID-19 and 232 recoveries recorded in the province.  

The 17 new mortalities were in Amlan (1), Bayawan City (1), Dauin (2), Dumaguete City (4), Mabinay (2), Siaton (2), Sibulan (2), Tayasan (1), and Valencia (2). 

As of Oct. 7, Negros Oriental recorded 14,856 cases of COVID-19, of which there are 1,971 active cases, 313 deaths, and 12,572 recoveries. 

Meanwhile, Estacion said the COVID-19 molecular laboratory inside the Negros Oriental Provincial Hospital (NOPH) will be running on a single shift for the meantime after some laboratory personnel tested positive for the virus and have been placed in isolation. 

Swab samples from cities and municipalities in the province will temporarily be sent to the DOH testing laboratory in Cebu while the molecular laboratory inside NOPH will only accommodate swab samples from hospitals in Negros Oriental. 

The health official appealed for public understanding on this matter. 

She assured that the NOPH molecular lab will resume running on two shifts once all the infected personnel have recovered from the disease. 

Estacion also reported that the province has now recorded a 31.82%accomplishment in its vaccination rollout. 

She noted that the figure involved those who have taken their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine and those who have completed their vaccine dosage in the A1 to A5 priority groups. 

However, she clarified that the province logged a 16. 23% accomplishment for the second dose rollout or completely vaccinated individuals against the number of the target population to be vaccinated which is at 908,939. 

The Provincial Public Information Office posted an advisory in the Provincial Government of Negros Oriental’s Facebook page citing the number of the persons vaccinated with their first dose has reached 141,692 while those who have completed their vaccine dosage is at 147,587. (RAL/PIA7  Negros Oriental)