2 of 3 key COVID-19 protocols listed by DOH barely enforced in Cebu
CEBU CITY—Two out of three key recommendations by the Department of Health (DOH) in Central Visayas to contain coronavirus transmission in Cebu province have not been fully implemented by local government units.
Dr. Mary Jean Loreche, chief pathologist and spokesperson of the regional DOH office, said the health department gave at least three recommendations to the cities of Cebu, Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu.
These are lockdown of areas with high COVID-19 cases, creation of isolation centers and location and immediate isolation of persons suspected of coronavirus infection.
At an online press conference on Monday (July 6), Loreche said only the creation of isolation centers had been fully implemented.
The recommendation to lock down areas with at least 25 COVID-19 cases had not been fully implemented in the villages, she said.
The lockdown, however, was carried out just the same by Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu, who had been appointed COVID-19 point person for Cebu by President Rodrigo Duterte last June 15.
The retrieval and immediate isolation of persons suspected of infection had been just partially implemented, said Loreche.
While some areas are locating persons suspected of infection, some of these persons are still allowed to mingle in their communities, Loreche said.
“Just my personal thought on this. I believe we here in Cebu City, are too complacent,” she said.
“The minimum health standards were not followed,” she added.
She said when Cebu City and other areas transitioned from general community quarantine (GCQ) to enhanced community quarantine the first time, “everybody was just out.”
“Even when we were already placed again under ECQ, everybody still refuses to to do the minimum health standards,” Loreche said.
Loreche advised those with mild to moderate symptoms of COVID-19 to go to quarantine facilities instead of the hospitals to keep hospitals from filling up.
Occupancy rate of COVID-19 beds in private hospitals is now already 74.3 percent.
As of July 5, the DOH reported a total of 10,184 COVID-19 cases in the entire Cebu Island with 363 deaths and 3,494 recoveries.
Most of the infections were in Cebu City where there were 6,761 cases. Cebu province, on the other hand, has a total of 1,538 infections.
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