Cebu City may face stricter quarantine with COVID mutations

Visayas Inter-Agency Task Force for the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) chief implementor Melquiades Feliciano

CEBU CITY, Philippines —  Cebu City’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) is concerned about the continuous spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and the identification of two new mutations of the virus recently found in Cebu. 

This has brought the national Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) to review the quarantine status of the city. 

General Melquiades Feliciano, Visayas IATF chief implementor, said there was still no proof that the two mutations, which he called variants, caused the faster spread of the COVID-19 in Cebu. 

However, the mutations were prevalent in close contacts, such as those in household and in workplaces, of the previous cases with the mutations. 

Among the identified cases, the transmissibity is faster although the virility of virus seems lower than before due to the mutations.

Read: 2 unknown mutations of SARS-CoV-2 found in Cebu

“Now the data last year, there was a positivity rate of 10 to 12 percent. Karong February, I say it again, we have very limited samples, but it is consistent. Moabot siyag 20 percent. Murag nidouble siya ang transmissibility,” said Feliciano. 

(Now the data last year, there was a positivity rate of 10 to 12 percent. This February, I say it again, we have very limited samples, but it is consistent. It has reached 20 percent. It seems that the transmissibility has doubled.)

The number of individuals who have undergone the testing after developing symptoms doubled as well, and naturally their contacts increased. 

Read: SARS-CoV2 mutations in Cebu? Call it variant of concern, not PH variant, for now — DOH

The easing of restrictions have contributed to this rapid increase of the virus not only in Cebu City but in Mandaue City and Lapu-Lapu City as well. These cities comprise the tricities of Cebu. 

“I am saying this because the general public should be aware. Right now, the EOC is really active but can only do so much. It is everyone’s responsibility, a shared responsibility to implement the minimum health protocols,” said Feliciano. 

Dr. Carol Cajegas, EOC Data Management cluster head, said that despite the rise in cases, the isolation centers were still within manageable condition. 

Five hotel isolation centers are still accepting patients, but currently only 23 beds in these hotels are left.

For the Barangay Isolation Centers (BICs), Cajegas said there are least 28 beds left. 

Although some BICs claim to have more beds available as well. 

Reports from patients online said the hospitals were filling up because they had been rejected for admission. 

However, Feliciano said the care utilization rate was still within a manageable rate at 40 percent. 

He said thay some hospitals might refuse patients with severe symptoms if they knew they could not handle it.

Watch: Mayor Edgardo Labella’s semi-virtual press conference

Mayor Edgardo Labella said he and Feliciano had already talked regarding the possibility of raising the quarantine status of the city. 

However, the IATF will still monitor the cases in the next week at least before deciding on the fate of the city. 

Labella still want the city to remain under modified general community quarantine (MGCQ).

He said that the city’s health care situation was still manageable and the death rate had remained low. 

“Our swab testing is massive, we already swabbed 60 percent of the population,” sais the mayor./dbs

Read: Asymptomatic patients make up 92% of COVID-19 cases in Cebu City