Killing our Christmas spirit

As the new report goes, the active COVID-19 cases in Cebu City were down to 206 as of Monday, October 19, according to the data from the Department of Health in Central Visayas (DOH-7). It was a record-low number of active cases in the city in the last six months.

However, as per Cebu City’s Emergency Operations Center monitoring, only 197 active cases are left in the city based on its verification. The DOH data showed that only two new cases were recorded in the city on October 19, bringing the total cases to 10,172 while the total recoveries was at 9,288 after 11 additional recoveries. This was the second time in one week that the city only logged two additional cases. Meanwhile no new death was recorded, thus total deaths remained at 678. So far this month, Cebu City only has three deaths. EOC deputy chief implementer and City Councilor Joel Garganera also reported that there are now 45 barangays with zero transmissions. While he continues to urge people  to wear masks or face shields and observe social distancing.

He said that despite sounding like a broken record, he everyone to always observe the health protocols. Like wearing a mask and face shield and social distancing should always be observed. Also, he said people should only go out when necessary.

Meanwhile, the cities of Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu have 84 and 119 active cases, respectively. Mandaue City has 2,522 total number of cases as three new cases were recorded. There were four new recoveries reported bringing the total number of recoveries to 2,290. The total number of deaths is at 148 as one new death was reported. Lapu-Lapu City has a total of 2,427 COVID-19 cases. There was only one new case recorded based on the latest DOH-7 update.

The total number of recoveries is still at 2,205, no new recovery was recorded. The total number of deaths is still at 103 as no new death was recorded per the latest update. In the meantime, Cebu Province, on the other hand, has 396 active cases. The total number of cases in the province is at 6,058 after recording additional 10 cases. The total number of recoveries is at 5,292, 44 of these were new. The total number of deaths remained at 370 as no new death was recorded.

As of Monday, the total number of COVID-19 cases in Central Visayas is at 21,826 with 919 active cases, 19,595 total reported recoveries, and 1,312 total reported deaths.

In the town of Liloan, it has recorded a 90 percent recovery rate from coronavirus disease infection with 10 active cases remaining. Not bad, Mayor Frasco.

I learned that Liloan Mayor Christina Frasco, on her Facebook account, said the record now was achieved “through, unity and discipline, time governmental interventions and innovations and your cooperation.”

Based on the October 19 data, Liloan has 328 total recoveries and 28 recorded deaths.The town has 198 persons under monitoring (PUM), one suspected case and 4,927 who have completed their quarantine period.

“The road to recovery is long and fraught with uncertainty, but this I know for sure; where there is life, there is hope,” Mayor Frasco said.

Mind you, first we had no Kalagkalag, no Halloween even so now the DILG will no longer allow Christmas parties in Metro Manila. So now they are also killing our Christmas spirit? Christmas parties will not be allowed this year in Metro Manila where a surge in COVID-19 cases remains a possibility amid the easing of quarantine restrictions, Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año said the other day.

In an interview over Teleradyo, DILG Sec. Año said Christmas parties are banned as mayors in the National Capital Region (NCR) have agreed to keep their respective jurisdictions under general community quarantine or GCQ for the rest of the year. “Under GCQ, parties are still not allowed. NCR mayors have agreed that we remain under GCQ,” Año said in Filipino. As Metro Manila is still averaging hundreds of new COVID-19 cases a day, Sec. Año said allowing Christmas parties, which involve mass gatherings, would only result in a surge in infections. Can we blame the DILG Secretary? There are over 359,169 COVID-19 cases with more than 6,600 deaths, based on the latest report of the Department of Health (DOH). Of the number, at least 180, 000 have recovered.

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