COVID-19 cases in Quezon City declining

MANILA, Philippines — The average number of cases of coronavirus disease 2019 in Quezon City has decreased in the past three weeks, according to OCTA Research, which regularly releases projections about the country’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Analysis of the data from the Department of Health (DOH) showed that the average number of daily cases in the city dropped from 540 from Aug. 10 to 16 to 456 from Aug. 17 to 23.

The number of COVID-19 infections further decreased to 372 from Aug. 24 to 30 and to 205 from Aug. 1 to Sept. 6.

Information provided by OCTA Research showed a five-week drop in the transmission of the virus in Quezon City, indicating a decline in the number of people contracting the disease.

The independent research team, composed mainly of faculty from the University of the Philippines, also gave information on barangays with high number of infections and those with decreasing case doubling time.

The group advised the city government to further improve its collaboration with the DOH, particularly with its One Hospital referral system to accelerate response to the pandemic.

The team noted the importance of augmenting testing, contact tracing as well as increasing the number of quarantine facilities and bed capacity in hospitals to stop the spread of the virus.

Mayor Joy Belmonte welcomed the decline in the number of COVID-19 cases in the city.

“This means that the collective actions of the local government, private sector and city residents to control the virus are working,” Belmonte said.

“We are grateful for the data analytics and recommendations of OCTA Research. We will incorporate their suggestions into our strategies and action plans. These studies are invaluable tools to help us improve our efforts,”  she added.

As of Tuesday, local health offices validated 13,604 cases of COVID-19 in Quezon City with 10,392 recoveries and 449 deaths. There are 2,763 active cases.

Belmonte earlier underscored the importance of contact tracing, immediate isolation and other policies to ensure that the transmission of the virus is prevented.

Despite the decline in the number of COVID-19 infections, the mayor stressed that efforts must be doubled to prevent a resurgence of new cases.

“We should not let our guard down and push further our efforts to combat the virus,” Belmonte said.

Joseph Juico, who heads the city’s COVID-19 Task Force, reminded residents to strictly follow health protocols.

“The city cannot afford another lockdown so we need everyone’s cooperation in following protocols such as wearing of face masks and shields, proper handwashing and social distancing,” Juico said.