Ecija Delta variant cases rise to 16, supply of cadaver bags run out
CABANATUAN CITY – With supply of cadaver bags supposedly running out in a regional government hospital in this city, Delta variant cases of COVID-19 in Nueva Ecija have ballooned to 16 from an initial two that was earlier reported during the first week of this month, it was learned.
The Nueva Ecija-Department of Health (DOH) has confirmed that 14 new cases of the highly-transmissible Delta variant have been recorded, raising the number of its total infections to 16.
The new 14 Delta variant cases were recorded in Talavera with eight cases, two in Quezon, two in Jaen and one case each in this city and in the Science City of Muñoz. Of these Delta variant cases, 15 have already recovered with one death.
Last August 2, Gov. Aurelio M. Umali announced that two previous cases of the Delta variant were recorded with one case each in the towns of Talavera and San Leonardo.
This developed as the OCTA Research reported as of August 26 that there is a sharp rise in new cases in Cabanatuan City, with ICU occupancy already critical. Aside from Cabanatuan City, it also placed under areas of concern the town of Sta. Maria and San Jose Del Monte City, both in Bulacan; San Fernando City in Pampanga; Olongapo City; Tarlac City; and Balanga in Bataan.
At the Premier Medical Center, a private hospital in this city, it announced in a public advisory that as of August 27, its COVID-19 wards and critical care isolation wards are already at full capacity.
Dr. Josephine Garcia, chief of the Nueva Ecija-Provincial Health Office, said the provincial government through the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office provided the Dr. Paulino J. Garcia Memorial Research and Medical Center (PJGMRMC), a premier regional government facility here, with their request of 30 additional cadaver bags amid the rising number of COVID-19-related fatalities recorded in the said hospital.
“Iyang cadaver bags ay mula dito sa provincial government, binili ‘yan ng ating probinsiya at isini-share natin sa PJGMRMC. Actually, hindi lang naman ngayon tayo nag-share sa PJGMRMC, noon pa man ay binibigyan natin sila kapag kinakapos sila ng cadaver bags katulad nitong buwan ng Abril ngayong taon binigyan natin sila dahil sa pagtaas ng bilang ng mga namamatay dahil sa COVID-19,” said Garcia.
As of August 25, the Nueva Ecija-DOH reported that total recovered cases in the province is at 13,712, with 1,878 total active cases and 1,107 total deaths.
