The Department of Health in Western Visayas (DOH WV) has advised local government units (LGUs) in the region to review how they handled the health pandemic in the past year and adopt effective measures.

In an interview on Tuesday, DOH WV Center for Health Development (DOH WV CHD) medical officer IV Marie Jocelyn Te, said cases in the region are still on the “up and down” trend.

“The trend shows that there is still local transmission, even in the whole Philippines, and no longer LSIs (locally stranded individual) or APOR (authorized person outside of residence),” she said.

Te added that they have noticed that there were times that offices and even houses being “complacent” due to the absence of symptoms.

If most of the household members are working, then it could not be avoided that either one or two of them are infected, only that they have no symptoms.

That is why, she said, it is better if they still wear masks and observe safe physical distancing.

Those with close contact to a positive patient must also follow the 14 days quarantine.

The latest Covid-19 bulletin released by the DOH showed total cumulative cases in the region jumping to 34,514.

Western Visayas recorded 360 new confirmed cases as per tests done by 12 out of the 16 laboratories in the region, thus increasing the total active cases to 4,377. Fatalities climbed to 873 with seven new deaths.

Additional 297 patients survived bringing the total recoveries to 29,258.

Te said amid the erratic number of daily cases, LGUs were advised to impose localized lockdown when necessary.

On Monday, in a virtual presser, Te also shared that some of the recommendations of the National Inter-Agency Task Force to curb the rising number of infections include improved efficiency in contact tracing, detection and isolation within 24 hours upon onset of symptoms, decongest hospitals by transferring asymptomatic and mild cases to temporary treatment and monitoring facilities, immediate transfer of cases with comorbidities or with the moderate disease to a hospital, augmentation of disease surveillance and contact tracing staff and increase dedicated beds for Covid-19.

She likewise reminded the public to always observe minimum health standards, avoid public gatherings and non-essential travels, and not hide their medical conditions. (PNA)