Cebu City remains under ECQ because hospitals are already overwhelmed – Duque | Inquirer News

Cebu City remains under ECQ because hospitals are already overwhelmed – Duque

/ 04:34 AM July 08, 2020

MANILA, Philippines — Cebu City remains under an enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), the highest quarantine restriction level placed by the national government, as hospitals are already overwhelmed.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said this during President Rodrigo Duterte’s briefing early Wednesday morning, noting that the quick case doubling time — or the amount of time needed for an area’s number of cases to double — is too short, at less than seven days.

“That puts them [Cebu City residents] at high risk, and their critical care utilization rate is high. It means their health systems capacity is already overwhelmed,” Duque told Duterte, speaking partly in Filipino.

Article continues after this advertisement

A high critical care utilization rate, Duque explained, means that many COVID-19 patients are already using hospital beds and mechanical ventilators.

FEATURED STORIES

Cebu City is the only area in the country that is under an ECQ, with quarantine regulations in other parts like Metro Manila having been eased down.

Previously, Duterte assigned Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu to spearhead the national government’s response to the pandemic in the said city.

Article continues after this advertisement

The President also blamed Cebuanos for being overconfident, as some people were seen roaming around outside while other areas were having a hard time fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.

Article continues after this advertisement

On Wednesday, Duterte again insisted that Cebu residents were nonchalant towards the health crisis, despite the strict implementation of quarantine rules by the police.

Article continues after this advertisement

Earlier, Cimatu said that he was confident that Cebu would be downgraded to a general community quarantine by July 16.

As of Tuesday, the Philippines registered 47,873 confirmed COVID-19 cases, the second-highest infection rates in Southeast Asia.  Of this number, 1,309 patients have died while 12,386 have recovered.

Article continues after this advertisement

/atm

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our daily newsletter

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.

For more news about the novel coronavirus click here.
What you need to know about Coronavirus.
For more information on COVID-19, call the DOH Hotline: (02) 86517800 local 1149/1150.

The Inquirer Foundation supports our healthcare frontliners and is still accepting cash donations to be deposited at Banco de Oro (BDO) current account #007960018860 or donate through PayMaya using this link.

TAGS: COVID-19, Rodrigo Duterte

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our newsletter!

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.

© Copyright 1997-2024 INQUIRER.net | All Rights Reserved

This is an information message

We use cookies to enhance your experience. By continuing, you agree to our use of cookies. Learn more here.