Cebu logs highest COVID-19 cases since July

MANILA, Philippines — Cebu City recorded 249 new coronavirus disease 2019 cases yesterday, the highest in a day since July last year.

The figure is the second highest since the city logged 355 cases last June 30.

The number of active cases is now 2,465. The patients are from 65 barangays.

More cases were recorded as more people are having themselves tested and the city’s contact tracing teams are aggressive in their efforts, Councilor Joel Garganera, emergency operations center deputy chief implementer, said.

“It is better that we know where they are because prevention is better than cure,” Garganera said. “We’re praying that this is the peak.”

“ We’ve been through this before... The big difference is that we now have better infrastructure, logistics, system and most of all the experience,” he said.

Garganera said critical care utilization in private hospitals is now at 40.6 percent.

“Our ability to isolate asymptomatic and mild to moderate patients in our temporary treatment and monitoring facilities will prevent our health care facilities from being overwhelmed,” he said. ­

The OCTA Research Group had earlier said the hospital bed capacity in Cebu City could reach critical level if the number of COVID-19 cases continues to rise.

The group said the number of cases in the city increased by around 30 percent in the past week.