Garcia: Cebu Province in ‘good’ shape amid COVID-19 rise

Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia says Cebu Province is in “good shape” despite the reported rise in COVID-19 infections. | CDN Digital – Morexette Marie Erram

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia is not a bit worried that only 10 of the 50 towns and cities in the province can be considered as Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) free.

The governor said that the Capitol will not be distracted with saturated information on COVID-19 as they are more focused on reviving the economy of the province, which was devastated in 2020.

She added that the only time to worry is when the hospitals and isolation centers have reached a concerning occupancy rate that can be considered overwhelming.

As of now, the province reports that only 20 percent of the 4 provincial hospitals and 12 district hospitals only have a 13 percent occupancy rate, which means that 87 percent of beds are awaiting possible patients.

“The only time when we should start to panic is when we get overflowing, nga dili na kaya sa atong mga hospitals. People are employing common sense that are readily available sa balay apil na ang inyong gikalagotan nga tuob. Ang pagstrengthen sa immune system, inom og lemonsito with turmeric, inom og vitamin C with Zinc…give your body a chance to fight COVID and other diseases. Boost our immune system, let us nurture a healthy Cebuano population moving towards economic recovery,” said the governor.

The governor said that a rise of 5 percent of cases in the past month, or a total of 537 active cases, is less of a concern than the economic situation in the towns and cities of Cebu.

The recovery rate for COVID-19 in the province is at 94 percent, as compared to the less than 60 percent recovery rate of the economy.

“I will protect the economy of this province because I will protect the Cebuano people who cannot speak up. Dili makatingog apan maoy naapektuhan kay wala nay mga trabaho, wala nay mga panginabuhi.”

“We are in good shape, as far as Cebu Province is concerned. We have very clear cut policies. Our mayors are more than equipped and experienced to manage COVID-19. We must now focus more on reviving Cebu’s economy and that is what we are continuing to do,” said Garcia.

The governor also urged the provincial residents that as they continue to maintain the health protocols, they must work on keeping themselves healthy to ensure they have the capability to fight the virus. /rcg