ROXAS CITY - The number of dengue cases in Capiz continues to rise, the Provincial Health Office (PHO) here reported over the weekend.
As of August 7 this year, the number of Capiceño dengue victims has reached 1,838 with 13 deaths, PHO Information Officer Jeoffry Espiritu said.
He added that of the total number of cases, 606 were in Roxas City with five deaths, followed by Dao with 160 cases, 122 cases in Pontevedra, 117 cases in Panay, and 102 in President Roxas.
The highest number of cases was also registered in July with 899, but from August 1 to 7, the PHO has already recorded a total of 342 cases.
According to Espiritu, most of the dengue victims are female, and within the age bracket of 1 to 10 years old and 11 to 20 years old, with 873 and 714 cases, respectively.
Earlier, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Capiz has put the entire province under a state of calamity due to the dengue outbreak.
The Sangguniang Panlungsod of Roxas City also declared Roxas City under a state of calamity because the number of dengue cases has reached epidemic proportion.
Governor Victor Tanco created and mobilized the Dengue Crisis Management Task Force to undertake preventive, curative and monitoring activities to address the rising number of dengue cases.
Roxas City Mayor Angel Alan Celino, meanwhile, stepped up the city's Oplan Patay Lamok, an inter-agency collaboration tapping all barangays and schools to heighten the preventive activities.
