A health official from the Department of Health Western Visayas Center for Health Development (DOH-CHD 6) reported on Thursday that 36 percent of the total number of confirmed coronavirus disease (Covid-19) infections in the region has recovered.

In a Covid-19 virtual presser, DOH-CHD 6 Infectious Disease and Environmental, Occupational Health Section head May Jane Roches Juanico said there are 688 Covid-19 cases in Western Visayas as of July 15.

“Currently, there are 430 active cases and those who have recovered is 36 percent of the total number of cases of Covid-19 and those who died are in 1.7 percent. About 510 or 74 percent are from the group of returning overseas Filipino workers (OFW) and locally stranded individuals (LSIs),” Juanico said in a mix of Filipino and English.

She added most of the OFWs and LSIs infected with Covid-19 are asymptomatic and 57 percent of them are already quarantined in local monitoring and treatment facilities to avoid potential transmission in their homes.

There are four testing laboratories – three public and one private – in Western Visayas which can process 300 to 400 samples per day with an average turnaround time of three to 10 days

The region has 253 contact tracing teams with 3,113 members.

Juanico reported about 78 percent of their hired contact tracing teams have undergone training.

To avoid Covid-19 transmission in Western Visayas as it enters the new normal, Juanico said they are strengthening the risk-based public health interventions especially the creation of administrative, engineering, and environmental controls.

“Through the local government units, we’re strengthening our coordination with the business sector for better monitoring and to ensure that we’re able to meet the minimum health capacity and needed interventions are implemented to prevent Covid-19 transmission,” she added. (PNA)