https://www.sunstar.com.ph/ |
- Davao receives Moderna vaccines
- Avisado on medical leave August 2 to 13
- Repatriated OFWs in Davao with Covid-19 now at 13
- 2 more Delta cases detected in Davao City
- Technology by local inventor used to dispose medical wastes from vaccination sites
| Davao receives Moderna vaccines Posted: 01 Aug 2021 08:08 AM PDT DAVAO Region received its first batch of Moderna Spikevax Covid-19 vaccines, with a total of 6,000 doses donated on Saturday morning, July 31, 2021. The vaccines, transported via commercial flight, arrived at the Francisco Bangoy International Airport (Davao International Airport) at 6:10 a.m. The vaccines were immediately transported to the cold facility of the Department of Health-Davao Region (DOH-Davao) for storage. DOH-Davao has not provided the specific breakdown of allocation to the local government unit (LGU). Prior to the arrival of Moderna, two more vaccine brands arrived before the end of the month. On Tuesday morning, July 27, 51,480 doses of Pfizer-BionNTech Covid-19 vaccines arrived at the Davao airport. A total of 120,000 doses of SinoVac's CoronaVac vaccine arrived on Thursday morning, July 29. As of July 31, Davao Region has received a total of 1,566,440 Covid-19 vaccine doses. Based on the breakdown provided by DOH-Davao, 696,160 doses are Sinovac, 365,620 are AstraZeneca, 342,810 are Pfizer, 143,850 are Johnson & Johnson Janssen, and 12,000 are Gamaleya Sputnik V. Meanwhile, according to the vaccine statistics of DOH-Davao as of July 27, out of 1,440,440 received doses, 1,322,330 were already distributed. Out of the total distributed doses, 771,974 were already administered (550,493 for first dose, and 221,481 for second dose). Based on the breakdown per LGU, Davao City has already administered 480,076 doses (330,954 for first dose; 149,122 for second dose), Davao de Oro with 69,055 doses (50,849 for first dose; 18,206 for second dose), 92,668 for Davao del Norte (71,054 for first dose; 21,614 for second dose), Davao del Sur with 58,631 doses (43,474 for first dose; 15,157 for second dose), Davao Occidental with 22,633 doses (17,082 for first dose; 5,551 for second dose), and Davao Oriental with 48,911 doses (37,080 for first dose; 11,831 for second dose). For the breakdown per priority groups A1 (medical healthcare workers), 103,027 doses were administered for the first dose, and 78,954 for second dose. For A2 group (senior citizens), 149,797 were jabbed for first dose, and 38,945 for second dose. Other priority groups were already vaccinated, including A3 (persons with comorbidities) with 168,506 administered for first dose and 93,861 for second dose. Essential workers (A4) were also vaccinated wherein 120,888 were given their first dose, and 4,594 for their second dose. Also included are indigent population (A5) wherein 8,275 are covered with their first dose, and 5,127 for their second dose. DOH-Davao Director Dr. Annabelle Yumang said in a recent virtual presser that regardless of the vaccine, the public should have themselves vaccinated for additional protection against Covid-19, especially with the recent detection of the highly infectious Delta variant. Yumang added that all vaccines issued with emergency use authorization (EUA) can fight the Delta variant. "Now more than ever, we need a national government-enabled response, local government-led response, and people-centered-response. No single strategy is enough to protect the people and our health care system. We need a layer of protection against the Delta variant," she said. In addition, she also urged the public to abide by the minimum health protocols despite being fully vaccinated.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Avisado on medical leave August 2 to 13 Posted: 01 Aug 2021 08:02 AM PDT DEPARTMENT of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Wendel Avisado will be on medical leave from August 2 to 13, 2021, following his recent bout with Covid-19 where he was hospitalized for eight days and quarantined for over a month. In a press release, DBM said the leave is upon the advice of the secretary's doctor to undertake a series of examinations, as it has been 14 years since he underwent a quadruple open heart bypass surgery. Undersecretary Tina Rose Marie L. Canda will serve as officer-in-charge (OIC) during Avisado's absence "to ensure that the services of the Department remains unhampered." "Rest assured that the DBM remains steadfast and committed to its mandate of promoting the efficient and effective management of the national budget to support its budget priorities, especially in the midst of the pandemic," DBM said. Avisado joins the list of government officials who tested positive for the Covid-19 virus, including Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año, Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark Villar, and Education Secretary Leonor Briones. President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered DBM to find a source for financial assistance for residents who will be affected by the enhanced community quarantine that will be imposed in Metro Manila during the first half of August this year. Avisado was appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte as DBM secretary on August 5, 2019, succeeding Undersecretary Janet B. Abuel, who served as the DBM's OIC following the appointment of former DBM Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno as Governor of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. Avisado previously served as Presidential Assistant for Special Concerns to oversee the rehabilitation of the areas affected by typhoon Yolanda. He was elected number one city councilor of the 1st District of Davao City in 2010 until his appointment as deputy secretary-general of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council on August 17 in the same year. He was also the executive director of the Davao Integrated Development Program. Avisado also served as Davao City administrator from 2004 to 2010 under Duterte, who was then city mayor.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Repatriated OFWs in Davao with Covid-19 now at 13 Posted: 01 Aug 2021 08:02 AM PDT REPATRIATED overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who returned to Davao City and tested positive for the Covid-19 virus rose to 13 after three new cases were recorded. Airport Monitoring Team Head Generose Tecson said in an interview on 87.5 FM Davao City Disaster Radio Friday, July 30, three of the cases were passengers from Dhaka, Bangladesh, and 10 were from Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). Tecson said individuals who tested positive were immediately transferred to the tent city at the Francisco Bangoy International Airport (Davao International Airport) for additional 14-day mandatory isolation. Those who tested negative need to undergo another seven days of quarantine. "Kay ayaw natin na mahalo sila sa ating mga locals (we don't want to mix them with our locals)," she said. This comes days after Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio confirmed that 10 repatriated OFWs tested positive for Sars-CoV-2, which causes Covid-19. A total of 138 passengers from Dhaka and 359 from Dubai arrived in the city on July 15 and 18, respectively, to undergo a mandatory hotel-based quarantine. As part of arrival protocols, the passengers were swabbed 48 hours before the flight and present negative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test results under City Ordinance 0477-21, Series of 2021 or the Mandatory Testing Prior to Entry into the Davao City via the Davao International Airport. As part of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID), the OFWs and ROFs were required to undergo a 14-day quarantine in Davao City before proceeding to their final destinations. In the quarantine facility, the returning overseas Filipinos (ROFs) are situated on the higher floors. For instance, if the designated hotel has ten floors, only the seventh to the tenth floor shall be occupied by the ROFs. Tecson said the OFWs from Dhaka underwent testing on July 21, and test results came out on July 23. Repatriated OFWs from Dubai, meanwhile, were tested on July 24 and their test results came out two days after. Tecson also said the city continues to require the mandatory RT-PCR test for travelers going to the city even for fully-vaccinated Filipinos. The test results must be taken within 24 to 72 hours before scheduled arrival. "They are screened, but it does not matter. If they come from a restricted country, then they do tho undergo a 14-day quarantine. Kahit na fully vaccinated sila. (Even if they are fully vaccinated.) Remember, even if you're fully vaccinated, pwede ka pa rin mahawa sa Covid-19 virus (you can still contract the Covid-19 virus)," she said. The airport monitoring head said more repatriates will arrive in the city in August this year. Duterte-Carpio previously allayed fears of a potential surge of Covid-19 cases in the city following the recent acceptance of repatriation flights outside the country. She assured the public that repatriated passengers will undergo a "bubble" arrival process and strict health protocols will be applied for passengers. "They will be wrapped in a bubble, they will be wrapped in a bubble gikan sa (from the) airport padulong sa (towards their) isolation hotel, didto na buhaton ang kinahanglan pag-process sa ila (wherein they will undergo the required process for them)," Duterte-Carpio said. The mayor emphasized the importance of the "bubble" process and strengthened health protocol for all arriving passengers.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 2 more Delta cases detected in Davao City Posted: 01 Aug 2021 08:02 AM PDT TWO additional Delta (B.1.617.2) variant cases of the Covid-19 virus were detected in Davao City, the Department of Health-Davao Region (DOH-Davao) reported on Saturday, July 31, 2021. In a press release, DOH-Davao said the two Delta-positive specimens are part of the additional 178 variants of concern (VOC) cases detected in Davao Region based on the latest whole-genome sequencing (WGS) report. The specimens were sent on July 15. Based on the patients' profiles, one is a 47-year-old male and was previously tagged as discharged on July 19. As of July 30, he was transported back to a temporary treatment and monitoring facility (TTMF) pending his reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test results. The other identified case is a 36-year-old female who was discharged on July 21. As of July 29, 2021, she was transported and isolated in TTMF with pending RT-PCR test results. The region currently has a total of four confirmed Delta cases. DOH-Davao confirmed on July 25 that the two Delta variant-infected specimens were from Tagum City in Davao del Norte and Davao City. Both were already tagged as recovered. DOH-Davao reported additional VOCs that were detected in the Batch 25 and 26 specimens sent to the University of the Philippines-Philippine Genome Center's (UP-PGC) for genomic sequencing on June 3 to 15. DOH-Davao said the 593 specimens were sent on July 1, 8, and 15 to UP-PGC. Based on the breakdown of the additional detected variants, Davao City had the most number of detected VOCs: 15 for the Alpha variant, 73 Beta variant, and two Delta variants. Additional VOCs were also detected in Davao del Norte with 30 Alpha variant cases and 41 Beta variant cases. Other provinces, except Davao Occidental, also logged additional VOCs: Davao del Sur (five cases of Beta), Davao de Oro (two Alpha, and seven Beta), and Davao Oriental (one Alpha and two Beta). To date, DOH-Davao has submitted a total of 2,062 specimens for genomic sequencing, with a usual turnaround time for the results to be released is about two weeks to a month. DOH-Davao reiterates to all local government units the need to strengthen the quarantine protocols, testing and isolation. "Regardless of the variant, the public is highly encouraged to enhance the adherence to Minimum Public Health Standards to halt the transmission of Covid-19 and further prevent the emergence of new variants," the Health department said. DOH-Davao also encouraged the public to get themselves vaccinated against Covid-19 for added protection, whenever it is their turn. Vaccinees are also reminded to complete the two-dose requirement of the same brand of vaccine at the prescribed interval.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Technology by local inventor used to dispose medical wastes from vaccination sites Posted: 01 Aug 2021 07:51 AM PDT WHEN swab tests and Covid-19 vaccination sites opened in Davao City, medical wastes also increased dramatically. From personal protective equipment (PPE), syringes, gloves, to masks and cotton balls – everything needs to be properly disposed of to prevent further contamination. These types of wastes are considered toxic. Hospitals and other establishments are strictly mandated by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources – Environment Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) to have a waste disposal system able to properly treat these wastes. Aside from that, these types of wastes should not be mixed with the other non-toxic wastes upon collection and in the landfill. The Association of Regional Executives of National Agencies (Arena) in Davao Region leads the Resbakuna for government employees in different parts of Davao City. Their vaccination sites are located at the University of the Philippines Mindanao, University of Southeastern Philippines Obrero Campus, and Police Regional Office-Davao Region in Camp Catitipan. In the first phase of their vaccination from June 30 to July 2, 2021, a total of 2,000 government employees were already vaccinated, while they targeted to vaccinate 15,000 government employees in total. With this number of individuals vaccinated, one can only imagine the amount of medical waste produced on a daily basis. Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Davao Regional Director Dr. Anthony Sales said they partnered with Radicor Solutions, founded by Engr. Roderick Dayot, a local inventor based in Davao City for the disposal effort of the medical waste from Arena XI Resbakuna campaign. "Nitro-sterilization is a new technology developed by Engr. Roderick Dayot, one of our inventors here in Davao. We requested his assistance in our disposal efforts of the medical waste for Arena XI... We have a law against incineration, so the invention of Engr. Dayot does not use fire. He uses high-pressure, high-temperature nitrogen to sterilize these medical wastes," said Dr. Sales, who also leads Arena XI. What is nitro-sterile technology? Nitro-sterile, using a US-patented machine, is a technology that uses an oxygen-free chamber to sterilize medical waste. This chamber is filled with pressurized high-temperature nitrogen to disinfect and shred medical, clinical, and pathological waste until they become fine, unrecognizable materials before they are disposed of to a special waste cell. Dayot said they reduce the volume of medical waste by 60 percent. "The technology that we have now is cheaper. We are utilizing a system from a readily available material – nitrogen. It is also non-pollutant as it does not emit toxic chemicals in the waters and in the air. We extract nitrogen, put it under high-pressure, high-temperature 250 degrees Celcius, it gets contact with the medical waste and sterilizes it. After the procedure, what comes out of the air is still nitrogen," explained Dayot. He added the high-temperature standard of DOST considered safe for sterilization is at 121 degrees Celsius but at Radicor, they do nitro-sterile at 250 degrees Celsius, more than the minimum standard. He said the machine that they use has the capacity to process five tons of medical waste a day. The special waste cell (special landfill), where the shredded medical waste ends up after sterilization, has a total capacity of 10,000 tons and Dayot said they estimate it can withstand up to five years of operation. Dayot said what Radicor advocates for is improved treatment procedures of medical waste as it continues to be a problem with the continuous surge in Covid-19 cases. "We don't want incineration anymore," he added. As a point of comparison, he said there is an existing technology that treats medical waste using steam. However, the problem with this technology is it requires too much water. For every kilo of medical waste, two liters of water are needed. Another technology called microwaving utilizes high levels of radiation putting the operators and those working close to the machinery at risk of overexposure to radiation. He said other existing technology treating medical waste is effective but has risks of polluting water and air because of the residual wastes. From the vaccination sites designated by the Arena XI Resbakuna, medical wastes are stored and sealed in storage containers. Personnel from Radicor make sure that the medical wastes are properly handled as they are brought to the waste treating facility in New Carmen, Tugbok District. They have another facility in the same area that is set to finish construction and completion of the Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) within the year. The facility is 1.8 hectares wide catering to a closed-loop system – from transfer of medical waste from source to sterilization to disposal in special landfills. "For the collected waste in UP and USeP, as to date, it's about 25 containers already. Each container weighs eight kilos. So that's about 200 kilos of vaccine waste collected [from the Arena XI vaccination alone]," Dayot said. Treatment of other waste According to Sales, nitro-sterile technology is only good for solid medical waste. A different technology is used for the liquid medical waste generated by hospitals and clinics. "With regards to liquid waste, we have a technology. Vertical Helophyte Filtration System. We've installed it already in one hospital in Tagum City. It's effective in treating wastewater generated by the hospital. Nakita namo na paggawas gyud sa effluent na niagi sa filter, clear kaayo siya. Limpyo kaayo siya when we analysed in the laboratory. Results have shown na compliant sya sa DENR standards. This technology can be used for the treatment of wastewater from hospitals and clinics," said Sales. SunStar Davao published an article in 2018 saying that the Dutch water engineering and waste management expert Sean Ligvoet first introduced the technology to DOST. VHFS is a filtering technology that uses plants as one of the materials that absorb pollutants from wastewater. This technology was adapted from the Netherlands where it is used by households. Pre-pandemic, it was first eyed by DOST to be used in food processing establishments and small businesses. "This equipment will be attached to the septic tank and then the water from the septic tank will be sucked out to proceed to the filter. When it goes out, it is already clean. The filtered water will be compliant with class A or class B water of the DENR. It means that this can be immediately disposed of to our wastewater," said Sales in a previous interview.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| You are subscribed to email updates from https://www.sunstar.com.ph/. To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, United States | |
No comments:
Post a Comment