Almost 600 COVID-19 cases in QC have incomplete info

Almost half of the 1,224 coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases received by the Quezon City Government from the Department of Health (DOH) have been labelled as ‘unknown’ due to lack of information.

According to Saleema Refran’s report on “24 Oras," 573 cases or 47 percent of the cases have no addresses or contact numbers while 35 cases did not specify which hospital took their swab test.

“This means that almost half of the reported cases tagged as QC in the KAYA info system for these days have no addresses and contact numbers, posing a major challenge in contact tracing,” Mayor Joy Belmonte said in a separate statement.

The mayor added that the cases may not be from Quezon City.

Due to this, Belmonte has requested help from the DOH in getting accurate and complete information.

“With that, we appeal to your good office as Secretary of Health to set the vision and direction in improving data quality for rapid contact tracing,” Belmonte said in a letter to Health Secretary Francisco Duque III.

“Hindi makapag-gawa ng tamang outbreak investigation, makapag-gawa ng tamang control measures, because of the lack of information,” Dr. Rolly Cruz, QC Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit chief, said.

Authorities also worried over the 72 cases of late reporting or those that had reached almost two weeks after their swab test.

“Kung nakapaghawa ‘yung isang case na ‘yun, nakapanghawa na siya. So ‘yun ang ibi sabihin nun. So malamang sila ‘yung mga bagong cases na na report,” Cruz said. —Joahna Lei Casilao/LDF, GMA News