Cebu City records massive 635 recoveries in a day

With more COVID-19 recoveries reported in Cebu City, officials are hoping that this signifies a downtrend in the number of transmissions of the dreaded virus. | PIO photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu City recorded one of its highest number of COVID-19 recoveries in a single day on March 9, 2021, with 635 recoveries.

According to the Department of Health (DOH), the massive recoveries have pulled down the active cases of the city from more than 3,000 to 2,817.

The Emergency Operations Center (EOC) welcomed the development saying that Cebu City may finally see a downtrend in the number of active cases.

“The increased numbers in our recoveries tells us that our treatment and management care to our positive patients are efficient. Moreover, we followed the approved DOH’s recommendation for a ‘time-based reckoning of recoveries’ of mild and asymptomatic cases.”

“We, therefore, practice the ‘symptoms-based strategy’ of WHO for releasing COVID-19 patients from isolation,” said Councilor Joel Garganera, the deputy chief implementer of the EOC.

Garganera added that the city has now seen a drop in the number of new cases as compared to January and February 2021, a good sign that the city is on the way to recovery.

Most of the new cases are still asymptomatic and the transmission remains more prevalent in the workplace.

However, with the continued roll-out of the vaccines, the EOC expects a further drop in the cases especially on workplace-related transmissions for medical centers and hospitals.

Once the vaccine roll-out includes non-medical priority groups, the transmission is expected to be lower.

In the meantime, the EOC reminds the public to remain vigilant and to continue wearing masks, face shields, and maintaining social distancing.

“But this is not a reason to be complacent, the more we should be serious in addressing this pandemic at all fronts,” said Garganera. /rcg