Cebu City ramps up testing, tracing

POLICE PRESENCE An armored personnel carrier of the police’s Special Action Force moves around Cebu City to remind residents to stay home as the government addresses the rising cases of COVID-19 in the city. (Photo by NESTLE SEMILLA / Inquirer Visayas)

CEBU CITY, Cebu, Philippines — Amid the rising cases of the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19), Mayor Edgardo Labella will continue the massive testing and contract tracing in the city to save more lives.

“What is important is we trace those who are infected with the virus, and then isolate and treat them. That is our moral and legal duty,” he said in a radio interview on Wednesday.

Labella said those who showed no symptoms of COVID-19 should be taken to the barangay isolation centers while those who experienced mild to moderate symptoms should be isolated in the city’s quarantine facilities.

“Only those with severe symptoms should be taken to the hospitals (to avoid congestion in medical facilities),” he said.

According to Labella, the city has registered many recoveries, which now stand at 49.56 percent.

As of June 30, the Department of Health had recorded 8,592 cases on Cebu Island—6,024 in Cebu City, 1,158 in Cebu province, 792 in Mandaue City and 618 in Lapu-Lapu City.

Cebu City recorded 173 deaths and 2,388 recoveries. At least 1,633 people are recuperating in hospitals while 1,830 are staying in the city’s quarantine facilities.

More medical personnel

At a press briefing here with other national government officials on Wednesday, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said more doctors and nurses would be sent to Cebu City to augment the medical workers in hospitals.

“I’m grateful to the groups of doctors who have expressed their desire to serve in Cebu City. The Armed Forces of the Philippines was also very prompt and responsive. It should inspire many doctors to follow and volunteer their services here,” Duque said.

He said there was also a need to ramp up the testing capacity in Cebu City to contain the spread of the virus. Laboratories here can test 6,000 a day but only 1,000 tests have been done so far.

Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu, who was tapped by President Duterte to oversee the government’s response in containing the COVID-19 spread in Cebu, said he suspected that the barangay isolation centers had contributed to the transmission of the virus.

Cimatu said he wanted patients, who did not show symptoms, to be transferred from the centers to quarantine facilities of the city to minimize the possibility of infecting the rest of the residents.

Change of behavior

“We noticed a change of behavior in Cebuanos. In the first week of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in June, there were those who were disobedient … Now, people are starting to follow the minimum health standards to prevent the spread of the virus,” he said.

“The ECQ is a challenge to Cebuanos to do their best to end the city’s quarantine status so we can reopen businesses,” Cimatu said, adding that even if the ECQ would be lifted, some villages with high coronavirus cases would remain on strict lockdown.

Labella has appealed to Cebuanos to follow health protocols, such as wearing of face masks, frequent handwashing, observance of physical distancing and staying at home when there’s nothing important to do outside.

Life and death

“ECQ, in effect, is like a lockdown. Let us all face this challenge. I appeal to our people to unite. Let us stop politicking and destroying each other. This is a matter of life and death,” he said. “If we won’t unite, it is us who will suffer. Remember that this invisible enemy is very unforgiving. It spares no one—rich or poor, young or old.”

On Monday, President Duterte extended the ECQ in Cebu City until July 15.

Cebu province, on the other hand, has been downgraded to modified general community quarantine except for Talisay City, and Consolacion and Minglanilla towns which remain under general community quarantine (GCQ). The independent cities of Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu are under GCQ.

Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia said she was grateful to Mr. Duterte and the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases for downgrading the status of the province.

“We can focus now on the resumption of tourism activities … These will, however, be subject to very strict health protocols,” Garcia said.