Inventory hospitals’ oxygen supply, LGU execs told

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Philippines — Local government and health officials should conduct an inventory of oxygen supply in hospitals, according to Health Secretary Francisco Duque III.

“We have to prepare for the worst if the deadly Delta variant spreads,” Duque told a press conference in this city on Tuesday.

Duque and members of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases came here to assess the situation and recommend measures to prevent the spread of the Delta variant.

“We do not want to experience the oxygen shortage in Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand when cases of the Delta variant spread in the countries,” he said.

Duque expressed concern on the reported detection of Delta cases here and in Gingoog City.

The Department of Health said the five patients infected with the Delta variant in the two areas have been isolated.

City epidemiologist Joselito Retuya said the patients recovered in June, but were brought back to the isolation facility after they tested positive for COVID-19 again.

Meanwhile, in Davao City, COVID-19 Task Force spokesperson Michelle Schlosser said the city has not recorded any case of the Delta variant.

Schlosser said city officials heightened prevention, detection, isolation and reintegration measures and implemented strict border control to prevent the spread of the Delta variant even before local cases were confirmed.

She said visitors are required to submit a negative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction test taken 72 hours prior to arrival.