A SINGLE case of COVID-19 Delta variant was reported in the province of Bulacan, according to the province’s Provincial Task Force (PTF) Response Cluster.
According to the report of PTF Response Cluster Head Dr. Hjordis Marushka Celis, the Delta variant positive individual was from the town of San Ildefonso who is now almost fully recovered.
Dr. Celis said the province’s strategy to manage a possible surge should focus on ensuring that the healthcare system is prepared regardless of community quarantine classification.
She also suggested the implementation of the accordion policy to prepare for hospital surge, which is the conversion and reconversion principle that determines if a hospital should convert regular hospital beds for ICU beds. This is to help manage cases and save lives by ensuring that there are enough beds for critical and severe cases.
Now that the province already has a COVID-19 case with the Delta variant, Bulacan Governor Daniel Fernando on Thursday said he already directed the PTF on COVID-19 to intensify the implementation of the Prevent-Detect-Isolate-Treat-Reintegrate (PDITR) Strategy.
“Nagsasagawa na tayo ngayon ng paghahanda sa Delta variant na kailangan po ay maging overacting tayo. Kasi kailangan natin magbantay dahil mas maganda na ang maagap kaysa doon sa masipag. Hindi na dapat pagtagalin pa. Nandyan na, bantayan na natin ng todo,” the governor said.
Fernando believes that the province is doing a great job in terms of COVID response, and he wanted to strengthen the already laid out strategies, given that the Delta variant is the most transmissible version yet of SARS-CoV-2.
He wanted everyone particularly from the local government unit to be proactive in addition to the precautions that the provincial task force is doing. The governor also continued to remind Bulakenyos to strictly observe minimum public health standards.
Aside from the mass vaccination held at the province’s vaccination center at the Hiyas ng Bulacan Convention Center, the provincial government’s accelerated vaccine roll-out continues through its mobile vaccine clinic.
Fernando, together with local officials of the Municipality of Pandi on Thursday spearheaded the mobile vaccination roll-out held at Barangay Cacarong Bata covered court.
Some 250 individuals, mostly from the priority A3 category, were inoculated with the single-dose Janssen vaccine from Johnson & Johnson.
Fernando said speeding up vaccination rollout should be an utmost priority especially for senior citizens and persons with underlying conditions because if they remain unvaccinated, they will continue to be at risk of severe COVID-19 or hospitalization.
(Photo by Eloi Samonte)