EOC’s report: Most new cases in Cebu City come from ‘outside transmissions’

CEBU CITY, Philippines – Never forget to observe health protocols when you leave your homes for work or to do some errands.

This was the reminder of Cebu City Councilor Joel Garganera following observations that outside transmissions are now the most common causes of the spread of the coronavirus disease in the city.

Garganera, who is also head of the city’s Emergency Operations Center that monitors cases of the infection, said that they logged 118 new cases from October 3 to 16, of which 104 were found to have been caused by outside transmissions.

“I sense [that] people start to get complacent because of the little victories we’ve been experiencing for the last few weeks, coupled with IATF easing some of the restrictions. This is what I am afraid of,” Garganera said.

READ: Cebu City’s recovery rate now at 91 percent

Data from the Department of Health in Central Visayas (DOH-7) show a massive drop in active cases in Cebu City while its recoveries continue to increase.

The city only had 213 active cases of the infection as of Sunday, October 18, while its recoveries already reach over 9,000.

READ MORE: Cebu City’s active COVID-19 cases are down to 230

“Tinood magpasalamaton ta sa atong kasamtangan kahimtang  pero kahinganlan mas mag matngon ta niing atong pagluag karon,” Garganera said.

(While we are grateful for our current status, we should not also forget the need for caution with the loosening of our quarantine status.)

Outside Transmission

EOC  logged 118 new cases of the infection from Oct. 3 to 16, 2020, and most of these new cases were traced to have come from outside transmissions.  Only 14 of these were from household transmissions.

A total of 26 Locally Stranded Individuals (LSIs), returning Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), and Authorized Persons Outside Residence (APOR) top the list of individuals who got their infections from outside sources.

Second on the EOC list are 19 individuals who visited public markets followed by 17 others who claimed that they got their infections from their workmates.

EOC also listed 16 individuals who got their infection from the hospital where they work for.

Other sources of infection, according to EOC’s tally, are detention facilities – 9, supermarkets – 6, neighborhood transmission – 4, karenderia – 2, workplace-related – 2, delivery services – 2, and hospital-acquired – 1.

More recoveries

Cebu City, once tagged as the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak in Central Visayas, was placed under modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) since September 1.

The city already posted a recovery rate of 91 percent on Sunday, Oct. 18, after documenting a total of 9,276 recovered patients. Its total confirmed cases, on other hand, are at 10,171 while its mortalities are at 679.

EOC’s data showed that a total of 77,926 individuals in Cebu City were tested for COVID-19. / dcb