The recent rise in COVID-19 is not a ‘second wave’

Parts of Cebu City are seen from the Barangay Busay Mountains in this photo taken on September 26, 2020. Digital Photo CDN | Brian J. Ochoa

CEBU CITY, Philippines – The number of active cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Cebu City may have increased slightly.

But local officials, citing statements from the Department of Health in Central Visayas (DOH-7), said this instance would not be considered a second wave.

“It is not up to me or the EOC (Emergency Operations Center) to determine, but from what DOH officials have said during our meeting, it is not a second wave,” said the mayor of Cebu City, Edgardo Labella, during a press conference. Monday, November 16.

As of November 15, DOH-7 data showed that the number of active COVID-19 cases in the city had risen to 292 after registering an additional 30 confirmed patients that day.

It also marked the sixth consecutive day that Cebu City recorded double digits in its daily number of new coronavirus cases.

EOC Czar and Councilor Joel Garganera, at the same press conference, said the city’s dedicated COVID command center reported an increase in the city’s positivity rate.

“During the month of October, we had about 1.25 to 1.5 percent as a positivity rate, which means that we have a daily average of 7.38 patients,” Garganera said.

“But when the first and second weeks of November came, we have a daily average of confirmed positive patients of up to 13,” he added.

The EOC also previously revealed the top sources of new coronavirus infections in the city, and these included gatherings and other activities that drew crowds, such as parties and revelries.

RELATED STORY: Parties, meetings between the main sources of new COVID infections

But Labella assured the public that the city’s coronavirus outbreak is still below manageable levels and that local officials, through the EOC, are doing everything they can to contain it.

“Relatively, it is not as worse as in other places. It’s still manageable as far as the city is concerned, ”Labella said.

Cebu City has been placed under Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ) since September and will last until November 30, 2020.

However, it can be recalled that the city was the only area in the country to revert to enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), the strictest form of community quarantine, last June due to a surge in new COVID-19 cases.

It was also previously labeled as the epicenter of the virus outbreak in Central Visayas. / dbs

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