Fewer cases, more deaths in Cebu City in March 2021

CEBU, Philippines — While the National Capital Region is experiencing a continued rise in COVID-19 cases, the number of cases in Cebu City has plateaued in recent days after a resurgence in recent weeks.

The biggest challenge now, as it has been last year when the number of cases in the city dipped, is how to maintain the progress, said Councilor Joel Garganera, deputy chief implementer of the city’s Emergency Operations Center.

“Makita nato nga for the last 14 days, from March 9 up to karon, medyo ni ubos-ubos na gyud ta, ni-plateau na gyud ta itandi nato sa previous... We just hope nga ma-maintain ni nato,” Garganera said.

The upset, however, is that more have died from COVID-19 in the city, totaling 49 in March alone.

Overall, as of March 24, the city has tallied 801 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

Garganera explained that the 18 deaths recorded by the Department of Health (DOH)-7 on Tuesday, March 23, were from different days of the month.

“Dugay na ni siyang 18, all in the month of March, kay nag-harmonize man ta gahapon ang karon pa nakit-e nila kay wala pa na-endorse ang maong death certificate sa DOH,” Garganera said.

He said four died in the last two days – one was 34 years old, two were in their 40s, and one other was 60 years old.

Most of those who died this month are between 60 to 79 years old. Two others were between 90 to 99 years old, 10 were between 80 to 80 years old, one was between 50 to 59 years old, six were between 40 to 49 years old, two were between 39 to 39 years old, and four were between 20 to 29 years old.

Based on DOH-7’s March 23 bulletin, Cebu City has 1,948 active cases but records of the EOC showed the city actually only has 1,690 active cases left.

At least 124 new cases were recorded also on March 23 but the city also logged 125 new recoveries.

Cebu City became an area of concern from February until early March after its number of active cases surged to over 3,000.

From being overwhelmed, the NOAH Complex at the South Road Properties now only has 142 patients left. The IC3 only has 16 while the Cebu City Quarantine Center only has 122 patients. The facilities house asymptomatic patients and those with mild symptoms.

Sixty-five of the city’s 80 barangays still have active cases and only 15 have zeroed-in transmission.

In other areas in Cebu, Mandaue City has 1,084 active cases; Lapu-Lapu City has 1,101 active cases; and Cebu Province has 1,529 active cases.

Neighboring Bohol Province has 317 active cases, Negros Oriental has 90 active cases, and Siquijor has four active cases. — JMO (FREEMAN)