A reminder to always wear face masks is printed on a huge tarpaulin that is hung from a pedestrian skywalk along ML Quezon National Highway in Lapu-Lapu City. | CDN Digital file photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — While new cases are still added to Lapu-Lapu City’s daily COVID-19 tally, Mayor Junard Chan said the situation in the city is already improving based on the declining number of cases added daily and the increasing number of recoveries.
On his Facebook page, the mayor shared the two graphs representing the number of additional cases and recoveries logged in the city daily. The data spanned from May until August 6, 2020.
Graph 1. The trend of new cases added to Lapu-Lapu City every day from May 20, 2020, until August 6. | Courtesy of Mayor Junard Chan
From the graph, the number of new cases logged in the city has been under 50 since July 17, and below 25 since July 31. The figures are lower compared to the number of new cases the city logged from the middle of June until the early part of July which went as high as over 100 in a single day.
Contrary to the number of additional daily cases, Chan pointed out the increasing number of patients who have already recovered from the infection.
Graph 2. The second graph that Chan posted shows an increasing trend in the city’s number of COVID-19 recoveries. | Courtesy of Mayor Junard Chan
The second graph on the city’s data of daily recoveries shows that the high number of recoveries in the city started in the middle of July where the number of recoveries in a single day went as high as over 70.
“Sayod ako nga sayo pa para mosulti niini pero dako ang akong pagsalig nga maayo ang dagan sa sitwasyon sa COVID-19 sa atong syudad,” Chan said.
(I know that it may be too early to say but I strongly believe than the COVID-19 situation in our city is already improving.)
Lapu-Lapu City, which was the first among the tri-city to be downgraded to general community quarantine (GCQ) effective last May 16, remains under the same classification.
As of the August 5 data of the Department of Health in Central Visayas (DOH-7), 760 of the city’s 1,915 cases of the infection remain active while its reported recoveries already hit 1,083. The city’s recovery count includes Chan who was diagnosed with the viral infection in the middle of June.
READ: Central Visayas total recoveries at 10,451, active cases drop to 5,507
The number of COVID-19 related deaths in the city also remained at 72 with no additional mortalities reported last Wednesday, August 5.
Chan attributed the improvement in the city’s COVID-19 situation to the efforts of frontline workers, effective policy implementation, and the compliance of the city’s residents with health protocols.
“Nagpasabot lang kini nga epektibo ang mga lakang nga atong gipanghimo ug nakuha nato ang kooperasyon nga gikanahanglan gikan sa mga katawhan. Sa trend nato karon, atong nakita ang bili sa kahago sa tanang frontliners nga nagpaluyo para mapuksa ang atong kaaway nga dili makita,” Chan said.
(This is an indication that measures that we implemented were effective and that we managed to win the cooperation of the residents. With the trend that we now have, we can clearly see that the efforts of our frontliners did not go to waste in our fight against this unseen enemy.)
Chan also thanked the frontliners who did not falter even if some of them were among those who contracted the infection.
“Ang kalampusan nga atong nakab-ot karon atong gipahinungod sa tanang frontliners sama sa atong mga doctors, nurses, mga sakop sa DRRMO, sa atong city health office, sa mga kapulisan, Navy, BFP, Army, volunteers, mga private groups, barangay workers ug daghan pa. Kung dili tungod sa inyung kinasing-kasing nga dedikasyon, dili namo matagamtam ang kaluwasan namo karon,” Chan added.
(I would like to give credit to our frontliners like the doctors, nurses, our DRRMO and City Health Office personnel, the police, Navy BFP, Army, volunteers, private sector groups, barangay workers, and others for our success. Had it not been for their dedication, we will not succeed [ in our fight against COVID-19].) / dcb