In a week, Cebu City records 83 COVID-19-related deaths

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CEBU CITY, Philippines – Cebu City recorded a new high in the number of deaths related to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Data from the Department of Health in Central Visayas (DOH – 7) showed that the city logged a total of 83 COVID-19-related deaths from July 5 to July 11, 2020.

This development brings the city’s number of COVID-19 deaths to a total of 358 with a case fatality rate (CFR) of 4.9 percent.

DOH – 7’s latest case bulletin issued late night on Saturday, July 11, showed that the city has already documented a total of 7,359 COVID-19 patients of which 3,737 have already recovered from their infection.

In one week, from July 5 to July 11, the regional health office’s tally also showed a total of 890 additional recoveries. This was higher compared to the number of new cases reported within the same period, which was at 745.

Last July 9, DOH – 7 also logged a record high in the number of newly recovered coronavirus patients from Cebu City, with 469. But on that same date, they also recorded 26 deaths.

Cebu City’s recovery rate stands at 50.8 percent as of 5 p.m. on July 11.

The city’s active cases, which refer to patients who are still infected with SARS-CoV-2, have slightly declined. From 3,852 last July 6, it dropped to 3,264 on July 11.

The Inter-Agency Task Force for Management of Emerging Infectious Disease (IATF-MEID) decided to put Cebu City under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) until July 15 due to the spike in the number of COVID-19 cases.

COVID-19 deaths

Dr. Mary Jean Loreche, the DOH-7 spokesperson, explained that COVID-related deaths do not necessarily happen on the same day.

As an office protocol, deaths are only listed after they are able to secure a copy of the patient’s death certificate.

“There are documents that need to be complied [with] and submitted to the health office as well as to the registrar… It cannot be considered as backlogs too because this is how reporting should be done,” said Loreche.

She said that aside from the documentary requirements, there are also other factors that would explain the steady rise in COVID-19 mortalities in Cebu City.

“One reason is that some of the patients (suffering severe to critical symptoms) come in late to the hospitals for treatment. Another could be is that prior to COVID, we didn’t do monitoring on deaths. And another would be that there are patients who died due to other diseases and causes but since they get tested for COVID too, then they get registered under COVID,” Loreche explained.

DOH – 7 reiterated its call for symptomatic patients to seek professional help to especially reduce the number of COVID-related mortalities. / dcb