DOH notes increase of COVID-19 cases in Davao City

(FILE) A streamer at a pedestrian overpass in Davao City reminds residents to stay at home amid the rising cases of COVID-19 infection in the city. —KARLOS MANLUPIG

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) has noted an increase in the number of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases in Davao City, with the observance of minimum health protocols being one of the current challenges of the city government.

In an online press briefing on Friday, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the DOH is coordinating with Davao City officials on the increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in their jurisdiction.

“In Davao City, nakikita natin ngayon may pagtaas ng mga kaso and we are closely coordinating with them because their healthcare utilization also is nearing moderate risk. Ito po ay ibibigay natin na mga datos at pag-uusapan sa Inter-Agency Task Force natin,” she said.

(In Davao City, we see an increase in the number of cases and we are closely coordinating with them because their healthcare utilization is nearing moderate risk. We will give their data to the Inter-Agency Task Force to discuss it.)

However, data from the COVID-19 tracker of the DOH shows that Davao City currently has a 65.1 percent bed occupancy for 18 health facilities. The DOH classifies hospitals with a COVID-19 bed capacity of 60 to 70 percent under moderate occupancy level.

Citing information from Davao’s Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit, Vergeire added that minimum health standards compliance is one of the challenges being faced by the LGU.

Based on the case bulletin issued by the DOH on Thursday, Davao City topped areas in the country with the highest new cases in the last 14 days by the date of onset of illness, having 1,086 cases.

It is followed by Quezon City with 873 cases, Cavite with 592 cases, Rizal with 581 cases, and the City of Manila with 569 cases within the said period.

Based on DOH’s data as of Thursday, Davao City has already recorded a total of 10,340 COVID-19 cases, consisting of 1,435 active cases, 8,574 recoveries, and 331 deaths.

Presidential daughter and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte earlier said the city government has no budget ceiling for COVID-19 vaccines that will be used in vaccinating 1.2 million residents, which is 70 percent of the city’s population and is enough to trigger herd immunity.

She said the city government has finalized its vaccine procurement from British-Swede pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca, which promised to deliver the supply by the third quarter of this year.

/MUF