THE national government’s coronavirus response team came to the rescue amid climbing confirmed cases in Iloilo City. Mayor Jerry P. Treñas met with coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) team led by Secretary Roy Cimatu, chief implementer for Covid response in Visayas, and Sec. Michael Lloyd Dino, presidential assistant for the Visayas during their visit on August 26. They discussed concerns on returning overseas Filipinos (ROFs) and locally stranded individuals (LSIs), support to the operations of the local government unit such as assistance to the Department of Health, medical personnel needs and other equipment requirements. A total of 349 active cases including 322 local cases and 27 ROFs/LSIs and authorized persons outside of residence as of August 27 were recorded in Iloilo City. Covid Team spokesman Jeck Conlu noted some 3,000 backlogs of Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) tests of Western Visayas Medical Center Sub-National Laboratory (WVMC-SNL). In its Advisory 12, WVMC-SNL stated that specimens received from Aug. 21-26 are pending. Releasing of RT-PCR tests encountered delays earlier following infection of several medical technologists manning the lab. Cimatu was first sent to Cebu when the cases there were increasing.ILOILO CITY PIO
