Death rate due to COVID-19 drops in Cebu City, says IATF official

Retired Major General Melquiades Feliciano (right), the deputy chief implementor fo the IATF in Visayas, and Councilor Joel Garganera (left), the deputy chief implementor of the EOC in Cebu City, talk to the barangay chiefs in the city via a zoom meeting in this July 15 file photo.

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The death rate due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Cebu City has dropped to less than five deaths per day, according to Retired General Melquiades Feliciano, the deputy chief implementor of the Interagency Task Force (IATF) in the Visayas.

Feliciano said that this is a good sign, adding that if Cebu City remains vigilant and careful despite being downgraded to General Community Quarantine (GCQ), it will be well on its way to recovery from COVID-19.

“The operations of the EOC (Emergency Operations Center) has improved resulting to a decrease of fatalities. From as high as 11 to 12 daily, just a month ago, now it’s less than two per day. That is a great improvement,” said Feliciano.

The retired general said the goal of the IATF and the EOC is now to reduce the number of new cases and active cases in the city through intensified contact tracing and isolation measures.

The reduction of the death rate in the city is a precedent for recovery as this indicates that the healthcare system is now coping and is no longer greatly overwhelmed.

To sustain this downward trend, Feliciano said the EOC needs to improve its coordination to the barangays. This way patients infected of the COVID-19 can be identified before they develop symptoms, or before their current symptoms get worse.

COVID-19 patients have a higher chance of survival if they can be treated before symptoms get worse.

A strong coordination between the barangay and the EOC would help further reduce death rate as well as reduce the spread of the virus. /bmjo