Recent rise in COVID-19 not a ‘second wave’
Parts of Cebu City are seen from the mountains of Barangay Busay in this photo taken on September 26, 2020. CDN Digital photo | Brian J. Ochoa
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The number of active coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases in Cebu City may have slightly increased.
But local officials, quoting statements from the Department of Health in Central Visayas (DOH-7), said this instance would not be considered as a second wave.
“It is not for me or for the EOC (Emergency Operations Center) for that matter to determine but from what officials of DOH have said during our meeting, it is not a second wave,” said Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella during a press conference on Monday, November 16.
As of November 15, data from DOH-7 showed that the city’s number of active COVID-19 cases had risen to 292 after recording 30 additional confirmed patients on that day.
It also marked the sixth consecutive day for Cebu City logging double-digits in its daily number of new coronavirus cases.
EOC czar and Councilor Joel Garganera, in the same press conference, said the city’s COVID-dedicated command center reported an increase in the city’s positivity rate.
“During the month of October, we had around 1.25 percent to 1.5 percent as positivity rate which means we have a daily average of 7.38 patients,” said Garganera.
“But when the first and two weeks of November arrived, we have a daily average of confirmed positive patients of up to 13,” he added.
The EOC also earlier disclosed the top sources of new coronavirus infections in the city, and these included gatherings and other activities that drew crowds such as parties and drinking sprees.
RELATED STORY: Parties, gatherings among top sources of new COVID infection
But Labella assured the public that the city’s coronavirus outbreak is still under manageable levels and that local officials, through the EOC, is doing their best to contain it.
“Relatively, it is not as worse as other places. It is still manageable as far as the city is concerned,” said Labella.
Cebu City has been placed under modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) since September and will last until November 30, 2020.
However, it can be recalled that the city was the lone area in the country that reverted back to enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), the strictest form of community quarantine, last June due to a surge of new COVID-19 cases.
It was also previously tagged as the epicenter of the virus outbreak in Central Visayas. /dbs
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