Healthcare utilization in Aklan at 'critical stage,' says governor

Healthcare utilization rate in Aklan province has reached "critical stage" amid the increase in COVID-19 cases, according to its governor on Wednesday.

In a radio interview, Governor Florencio Miraflores said despite the critical level, their provincial hospital can still accommodate COVID-19 cases.

"Yung aming healthcare utilization rate, while punuan na, critical stage na kami, tumatanggap pa rin ang aming provincial hospital," he said, adding more than 80% of the provincial hospital's 300-bed capacity are already occupied

Miraflores said the province's positivity rate is at 40 to 50% while its daily attack rate is at 30%. He said the "surge" started in May.

Though there is still no confirmed case of the more transmissible Delta variant in Aklan, Miraflores this is likely to change in the near future.

"Sa Delta wala pa naman pero I think we have to expect na magkakaroon din kami ng Delta kasi ang unang Delta variant na lumabas sa Panay, yung bayan ng Pandan [sa Antique], ay boundary ho namin yan," he said.

Miraflores surmised that Delta variant has already reached the province since almost entire families are turning out positive for COVID-19.

"Most of the time the whole family is infected," he said.

Aklan is currently under modified enhanced community quarantine, the second strictest quarantine protocol.

According to a 24 Oras report on Tuesday, Miraflores has asked the municipalities in the province to prepare their own burial grounds for COVID-19 fatalities after Aklan's  partner crematorium stopped its operations.

In the radio interview, Miraflores said 137 people had died of COVID-19 in the province from May to July -- way higher than the over 40 fatalities recorded in a year.

"Wala kaming crematorium sa Aklan. The crematorium is in Iloilo City.
For the next three weeks nagsabi sila 'di muna sila tatanggap ng corpses," he said. —KBK, GMA News