Cebu City: 20 COVID-19 cases, 500 PUMs, 200 ILI
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu City has 20 positive cases of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), but so far only one has fully recovered.
In the recently released data by the Cebu City Health Department (CHD), the city recorded 20 positive cases of COVID-19, 4 deaths, and 1 full recovery.
Read more: Family grieves over death of Cebuana doctor
According to Cebu City Health Officer Daisy Villa, the four deaths included couple — Drs. Dennis and Helen Tudtud, who were mourned by their family, friends, and the medical community.
Dr. Helen died on March 27 while her husband, Dr. Dennis died on March 30.
The first death was recorded on March 23 from an individual who frequented Cagayan.
Another individual died on March 28, but Villa refused to reveal the details.
500 PUMS in Cebu City
The CHD also revealed at least 500 persons under monitoring (PUM), most of these in Barangay Kamputhaw in Cebu City where 100 PUMs are being isolated.
Villa said this should not alarm the residents because the PUMs were asymptomatic and were already quarantined because of close encounter with a positive case.
“Ayaw lang gyod intawn idiscriminate. (Please do not discriminate),” she said.
Read more: Cebuanos told: Don’t discriminate COVID-19 patients, frontliners
The Department of Health also recorded 99 severe acute respiratory illnesses (SARI) and more than 200 influenza-like-illnesses (ILI) in Cebu City, the highest in the entire Central Visayas.
Villa said that the numbers increased with the success of the cluster clinics in the barangays being able to identify all SARI and ILI in the community who are susceptible to the COVID-19.
However, she clarified that SARI and ILIs are not automatically positive for the coronavirus, but only susceptible to it.
The SARI and ILI are also the priority for testing because they display symptoms of the virus.
Read more: How social distancing works and what it means for you
Villa reminded the public that self-quarantine and social distancing were the best way to fight the virus. /dbs
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