The Councilor Joel Garganera , emergency operations center of Cebu City head, says the rise of active cases is expected with the easing of restrictions with the downgrading of the city’s status to modified general community quarantine. | CDND file photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Emergency Operations Center or EOC said that the slight rise in the number of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) active cases was expected under the modified general community quarantine (MGCQ).
The cases are expected to rise as more people will go out on the streets to work; thereby, providing more chances for the virus to spread in workplaces, public markets and supermarkets, and even in public transportation.
On September 9, 2020, the city recorded 39 new cases out of more than 1,000 samples tested from that particular batch, rendering a 4 percent positivity rate.
The cases are still relatively low, but can be a potential threat if these will not be isolated and contact traced immediately. The EOC has immediately deployed personnel to isolate the patients and trace their close contacts.
Still, for Councilor Joel Garganera, the head of the EOC, these spikes of cases was a challenge for them to control because each positive case could have up to 10 to 20 contacts.
“Mao ni akong gikahadlokan (This is what I fear) because the World Health Organization already said that cases would rise when the quarantine is downgraded,” he said.
Among the 39 cases, 10 of them are from Barangay Apas, 12 are from a bank establishment, and 7 are locally stranded individuals (LSIs) who came home from Metro Manila.
Read: 12 employees of Cebu City bank positive for COVID-19
Garganera said this slight spike in cases should be a reminder to all Cebu City residents that they could not take for granted the health protocols under the MGCQ.
Wearing of face masks and face shields, maintaining social distancing, and proper disinfection can greatly help prevent the spread of the virus.
For the EOC, the best contribution the public can give in the fight against the COVID-19 is their cooperation and not wait for lockdowns before following the health protocols.
Read: Bacayan subdivision needs intervention for slight rise in COVID cases — Garganera
Such in the case of a private village in Barangay Bacayan where almost 16 cases were recorded in a span of two weeks. The barangay officials report the lack of compliance from the residents.
The city government sent police and law enforcement personnel as well as EOC personnel to maintain order there.
Read: EOC warns government personnel: Cooperate with contact tracing or else…
As of September 10, 2020, or a week after, the residents have already complied with the health protocols.
Garganera said the EOC had proactively been working in keeping the virus at bay.
They would soon set up surveillance teams that would go around the city identifying areas that could be risky such as public places where people would tend to crowd./dbs