A view of Cebu City from the mountains of Barangay Busay. CDN Digital photo | Brian J. Ochoa
CEBU CITY, Philippines – The number of coronavirus disease-free barangays in Cebu City has dropped from 38 to only 29.
Councilor Joel Garganera, head of the city’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC), said that based on their September 19 data, only 29 barangays managed to keep its COVID-free status in the last 14 days.
“(A) few days ago, there were 38 barangays that have zeroed-in transmission. Today, it’s down to 29 zeroed-in -transmission for the last 14 days,” said Garganera told reporters on Sunday, September 20.
This is a clear indication that Cebu City is not yet safe from the infection, said Garganera, deputy chief implementer for the Cebu City counterpart of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Disease (IATF-MEID).
As Cebu City enters its fourth week under modified general community quarantine (MGCQ), Garganera said that Cebuanos should not let their guards down. Instead, they should continue to comply with the health protocols imposed by the government.
“(There is) no room for complacency… Everything is so fragile,” Garganera said.
Earlier, City Hall announced that 36 of the city’s 80 barangays were already free of active cases of the infection. These are Barangays Calamba, Adlaon, Agsungot, Babag, Bonbon, Budlaan, Buot, Cambinocot, Day-as, Ermita, Guba, Kinasang-an Pardo, Lusaran, Mabini, Malubog, Pamutan, Paril, Pasil, Pulangbato, Pung-ol Sibugay, Quiot, San Antonio, San Nicolas Proper, Sto. Niño, Sawang Calero, Sinsin, Sirao, Suba, Sudlon I, Sudlon II, T. Padilla, Tabunan, Tagba-o, Taptap, Tinago, and To-ong.
A few days later, the city’s list increased to 38 with the addition of Barangays Duljo Fatima and Kalunsan. However, on Saturday, Sept. 19, the city’s list of COVID-free barangays dropped to only 29.
Meanwhile, Cebu City’s anti-coronavirus task force team is calling a meeting with construction experts and officials to address the rising number of industry workers afflicted with the disease.
Based on recent data from the city’s EOC, construction sites have been identified as among the top sources of transmissions outside of the households.
READ: Rise in COVID cases in construction sites worries Cebu City officials
The Department of Health in Central Visayas (DOH- 7) already documented a total of 9, 895 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Cebu City as of September 20.
Comprising around 89.5 percent of this figure, or 8,842 out of the 9,895 have already recovered while 665 passed away. The city’s active cases are now at 388. / dcb