Mayor Edgardo Labella speaks with COVID-19 recoveries before they were officially discharged from the Cebu City Quarantine Center. | PIO Photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella credited the Cebuanos show of discipline for the massive drop in new cases of the coronavirus disease in the past days.
Labella said that the people will soon enjoy the benefits of their cooperation with the government as soon as the city’s status is downgraded to a more relaxed quarantine status.
More will already be able to go out of their homes to attend to their respective tasks by then, he added.
“Nadisiplina na gyod ang katawhan. Gani usa ka factor, bisan og GCQ ta, wala nato gikuha ang requirements sa Qpass. Ang mga households katulo ra sila makagawas sa usa ka semana, dili tanan magdungan og anha,” he said.
(We were able to instill discipline on the people. In fact, we did not lift the requirement for Q passes even when the city was already under GCQ. Household residents are only allowed to go out three times a week [to buy essentials] and they do not go out at the same time.)
READ: Cebu City’s case log: Only 13 new infections on Aug. 6
On Thursday, August 6, the Department of Health in Central Visayas reported only 13 new cases of the infection here while the recoveries reached 63.
DOH’s August 6 data was record low for Cebu City since it was placed under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in March because of growing COVID cases.
Labella expressed his appreciation for Cebuanos who listened to the city’s reminders and practiced health and safety protocols, thus preventing the further spread of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
He said that discipline paired with medical interventions that include the conduct of massive contact tracing and swabbing greatly helped in the fight against the infection that has affected more than 9, 000 city residents.
But while the city is now headed for recovery, Labella said that the fight against COVID-19 will have to continue to prevent a second wave of the infection here.
Labella said that the city government is now considering the possibility of allocating funds for the distribution of free anti-flu and anti-pneumonia vaccines, especially to the frontliners to help boost their immune systems.
READ: Cebu City prepares budget for ‘future COVID-19 vaccine’
The city, Labella said, will also be allocating funds for COVID-19 vaccines that may already be available in the country next year. / dcb