COVID-19 recoveries breach 8,000-mark

CEBU, Philippines — The number of COVID-19 recoveries in Cebu City has breached the 8,000-mark.

Based on the official Facebook page of the Department of Health (DOH)-7, the city recorded a total of 8,298 recoveries, 621 are newly reported last Wednesday.

There are 37 additional cases recorded bringing the total number of cases to 9,565 with 626 active cases.

The total number of deaths is at 641, 16 of them are newly reported.

Meanwhile, Councilor Joel Garganera, deputy chief implementer of Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) Emergency Operations Center (EOC) in the city, said there are 39 new cases recorded at the EOC.

“37 sa Department of Health, 39 amoa. I’m giving you what is sa EOC. We have 39,” said Garganera.

This involves 16 barangays.

Garganera added that the COVID-free barangays is now down to 33.

It was earlier reported that there are 35 barangays with no virus transmission for the last 14 days.

He said two of the 35 barangays recorded a case - one is a mountain barangay and the other is a downtown barangay.

“Everything is so fragile. Yesterday, we have one digit figure, and today we have 39.  Yesterday we have no cases for the police, and right now we have three cases. It’s a series of ups and downs,” he said.

Garganera added contact tracers were already deployed and have coordinated with the barangays. Lockdown in households having a positive case were also implemented.

“Na-flattened gihapon nato ang curve but then again within that flat area, naa gihapo’y spike. Mao gyud na’y ingon nga it ain’t over until it’s over. Og naa pa man gani gihapon na ang atong virus, there’s always this tendency nga mo-spike na siya,” he said.

The councilor said it really relies on the movement of the people.

The reason why he echoed Mayor Edgardo Labella’s statement that the restriction on the movement of people must remain.

“Though little by little, we are opening our establishments, businesses, but we’re doing it in such a way nga ang risk ma-mitigate gyud gihapon nato,” said Garganera.

As shown in the same DOH-7 data, Mandaue City has 2,195 total number of cases, with 335 active cases. There are 16 new cases recorded.

There are 20 new recoveries reported putting the total number of recoveries to 1,779.

The total number of deaths is at 81, as one new death was reported.

Lapu-Lapu City has a total of 2,166 COVID-19 cases with 312 active cases. There are seven new cases recorded based on the latest DOH-7 update.

The total number of recoveries is at 1,766, 17 of which are newly reported.

The total number of deaths remains at 88, as no new death was recorded per the latest update.

In Cebu Province, the total number of cases is at 2,555 with 682 active cases after recording additional 42 cases.

The total number of recoveries is at 1,741, 19 of these are new.

The total number of deaths remains at 132, since no new death was recorded.

As of Wednesday, the total number of COVID-19 cases in Central Visayas is at 18,583 with 2,207 active cases, 15,284 total reported recoveries, and 1,092 total reported deaths. — GAN (FREEMAN)