CEBU CITY, Philippines—The Cebu City Emergency Operations Center (EOC) will be deploying teams to investigate and trace home deaths that have occurred here recently.
Councilor Joel Garganera, the deputy chief implementor of the EOC, said that the home deaths reported to the city have increased significantly.
In the last week of July 2021, the average home deaths reported was 15 to 20 per day. This has since risen to 22 to 26 deaths per day.
Since these deceased individuals were not tested for COVID-19, they are not reported along with the confirmed COVID fatalities.
However, Garganera said they have reason to believe that some of these home deaths may be caused by COVID-19.
Based on their contact tracing data and the mapping of new cases, the COVID cases are no longer concentrated in a few areas but is now widespread.
“COVID is now everywhere. Bisan asa nalang ni ato cases,” said Garganera.
With this, starting today, some contact tracers will tracing these home deaths for a verbal autopsy or post medical examination to identify if the deceased had the possibility of contracting the virus.
The EOC is hoping to detect possible COVID-19 cases from contact tracing these households.
The EOC has also intensified their monitoring of cases, especially since the official death toll for COVID-19 in the first week of August has spiked.
Most hospitals are reaching 90 percent capacity as well, although city-wide, the occupancy rate is at 70 percent.
The EOC once again appeals to the public to be more vigilant when going out and to follow the minimum health protocols.
/bmjo
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