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COVID-19 emerging hotspots in Cebu, Ormoc, Leyte, Samar, says DOH


The Department of Health (DOH) on Wednesday identified several areas in the Visayas as “emerging hotspots” of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

“Ang mga lugar kung saan tayo nakakakita ng emerging hotspots o lugar kung saan dumadami ang kaso ay ang Cebu City, Cebu province, Ormoc City, Southern Leyte, Leyte, at Samar,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a briefing.

Vergeire said the epidemic curve of Visayas shows an uptick in infections in Regions 7 and 8.

“Nangangahulugan po ito na tumataas ang mga kaso sa kanilang lugar at kailangan po nating ituon ang ating atensyon sa lugar na ito upang mapigilan pa ang paglobo ng mga kaso at hindi natin ma-overwhelm ang health system sa mga nasabing lugar,” she said.

The health official added that the national government has sent supplies and equipment to Cebu province to help ramp up its testing capacity.

Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Cebu City, and Cebu province were all part of the top five areas nationwide with the highest number of COVID-19 cases overall and within the last 14 days, according to the DOH’s online tracker as of June 23.

Cebu City has so far logged 4,539 cases while Central Visayas has 6,270, second only to Metro Manila with 16,009 infections.

Cebu City is the only area nationwide that is under the stringent enhanced community quarantine, with the national government looking to tighten restrictions on movement even more in the coming days.

Eastern Visayas lawmakers have also called for a review of the Hatid Probinsya program after the region saw an increase in COVID-19 cases. 

Vergeire said the national epidemic curve, meanwhile, shows a “gradual” rise in COVID-19 cases.

“Bagaman tumataas ang mga kaso sa ating bansa, ang pagtaas naman nito ay gradual at hindi biglaan. Ang ibig sabihin po nito ay nakakayanan ng ating current health system ang pagtaas ng mga kasong ito,” she said.

“Atin pong ine-expect na tataas pa rin ang kaso habang unti-unti po nating binubuksan ang ating ekonomiya, bahagyang niluluwagan ang community restrictions, at patuloy na tumataas ang ating testing capacity,” she added.

The Philippines has recorded 32,295 COVID-19 cases with 8,656 recoveries and 1,204 with deaths as of Wednesday afternoon.

Positivity, fatality rates

Vergeire said the country’s positivity and case fatality rates were both on a downward trend.

As of June 20, the Philippines had a positivity rate of 6.9 percent.

The country’s case fatality rate as of June 23 stood at 3.73 percent, slightly above the 2.94 percent average across Southeast Asia but below the 5.22 percent global average.

“This is an encouraging sign para sa atin dahil bagaman tumataas ang bilang ng mga kaso sa iba’t ibang lugar sa Pilipinas, kinakaya po ng ating health systems at kakaunti na lamang ang pumapanaw mula sa COVID-19,” Vergeire said. -NB, GMA News

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