Cebu City’s 520 active cases highest in 44 days

CEBU, Philippines — Cebu City logged 520 active cases of COVID-19 on June 18, Friday, its highest in the last 44 days.

This was the second time this month that active cases in the city breached the 500-mark after June 15 when the number hit 511.

Data from the Emergency Operations Center showed that there were 49 new cases and one death on June 18. That puts the number of June deaths to four.

However, the city’s positivity rate -- 4.08% out of 1,201 tested -- was still within the World Health Organization (WHO) threshold of 5%.

Its critical care occupancy rate was also “in a very safe zone” at 20.4% or 178 beds occupied. Of the 178 patients, 100 are in private hospitals, and the rest in government-controlled facilities.

The other patients are at Cebu City Quarantine Center, 47; barangay isolation centers, 201; and hotels, 56.

As it appeared, the transmission of the virus in one construction site in Apas contributed largely to the city’s current COVID-19 figures. Some 49 construction workers tested positive several days ago, although the EOC quickly extracted and isolated these patients, mostly asymptomatic.

Barangay Apas right now has the most number of active cases at 71.

Guadalupe trails Apas with 24 active cases while Mabolo has 23 and Lahug and Talamban have 22 cases each.

In total, 51 of the 80 barangays in Cebu City have active cases while the 29 others have been without transmission in the last 10 days.

In the Department of Health-7’s case bulletin for June 18, however, Cebu City has 594 active cases with some of its recoveries yet to be verified with the other LGUs.

Lapu-Lapu, on the other hand, has 191 active cases, including 15 new ones. Mandaue has 186 active with 14 new cases while Cebu Province has 471 active with 37 new ones.

In the region, Negros Oriental has the most number of active cases at 3,332, with 244 of this number being new cases.

Bohol has 1,652 active cases with 96 new ones while Siquijor has 27, including nine new ones. — JMD (FREEMAN)