Dr. Bryan Lim, infectious disease expert, says proper ventilation such as in open spaces would reduce transmission of COVID-19. | CDN Digital file photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu City Emergency Operations Center (EOC) is urging the public to hold gatherings in open air venues.
This is their appeal to the public with more gatherings, which are expected to be held as the Christmas season draws nearer.
Political gatherings have also increased due to the upcoming May 2022 elections.
With this, the EOC urged the public to hold gatherings that can potentially crowd groups of people at open air venues so that proper ventilation is maintained at all times, and thereby reducing the risk of COVID-19 transmission.
Doctor Bryan Lim, a Cebuano Infectious Disease Expert, already said that proper ventilation would reduce transmission and the carbon dioxide level (CO2) in an enclosed space would be directly proportional to the rate of transmission.
Lim said as long as the venue would be open air, the risk of transmission would be reduced to only 2 percent, that would be if every individual would be properly following the mask and social distancing protocols.
If gatherings like Christmas parties are done in an open air setting, the EOC believes this can effectively prevent a surge of cases usually brought by the holidays.
“Mas maayo himoon ang mga gatherings sa open air o kanang maayo ang airflow o ventilation para mas luwas ta.
(It would be better to hold gatherings in open air areas or areas where with better airflow or ventilation so it will be safer for everybody.)
“Dili man puede macancel ang Pasko pero puede nato ma cancelar ang mga risgo nga batasan ug panlihok sugod karon,” said Councilor Joel Garganera, the deputy chief implementor of the EOC.
(We cannot cannot cancel Christmas but we can cancel the actions or attitudes that put us at risk starting now.)
Garganera notes that the daily positivity rate for COVID-19 in the city is currently 0.78 percent with only 6 out of 772 tested individuals proving positive to the virus on November 13, 2021.
“This indicates that COVID is still very much around. Never lower our guards especially in the coming holidays, daghan (Many) reunions, parties, gatherings,” he said.
There are only 144 active cases in the city and the city is considered under low risk category for COVID-19.
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