HUCs remain under Level 1

CEBU, Philippines —  All three highly urbanized cities in Cebu, together with some component cities and municipalities, will remain under Alert Level 1 from June 1 to 15, the latest resolution from the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management for Emerging infectious Diseases shows.

Ahead of the usual end-of-the-month report from the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF), Cebu City together with Lapu-Lapu and Mandaue City remain under the lowest alert level against COVID-19.

IATF Resolution 168-A also shows that Siquijor Island also remains under Alert Level 1.

Cebu Province, Bohol, and Negros Oriental remain under Alert Level 2.

However, the same resolution shows a provision that alert level classifications of component cities and municipalities under IATF resolutions nos.165-g, 166-A, 167-A, 167-C and 167-F (s.2022) not otherwise affected by the latest resolution remain in effect until June 15.

As such, Talisay City in Cebu, which is already under Alert Level 1, remains in the same classification.

Dr. Mary Jean Loreche, chief pathologist of the Department of Health (DOH)-7, also clarified the matter with the DOH central office and was told Talisay would indeed remain under Alert Level 1.

Other areas in Cebu Province that have been previously de-escalated to Alert Level 1 and remain in the same classification include Alcoy, Borbon, Oslob, Pilar, Santander, and Tudela as stated via Resolution 167-F.

In Bohol, areas that have been placed under Alert Level 1 are Calape, Duero, Sevilla, Garcia Hernandez, San Isidro, and San Miguel.

In Negros Oriental, areas that have been placed under Alert Level 1 are Amlan, Bacong, Dauin, Valencia, and Zamboanguita.

Meanwhile, Cebu City has kept its COVID cases low despite all the mass gatherings and ease in restrictions.

As of this writing, the city only has 24 active cases from 19 barangays. Sixty-one other barangays have no reported transmission for the last 14 days.

On May 27, Cebu City recorded five additional cases, the most number of new cases this week.

The city’s daily positivity rate remains below the World Health Organization threshold of five percent with its 1.09 percent positivity rate or only five of 457 people testing positive in the COVID test.

Most of those still positive for the virus are in home isolation. Only two were reported admitted at hospitals.

As of this writing, no one died from COVID-19 in Cebu City in May.

The city government continues to advocate for vaccination and booster shots to continue to protect residents, especially the elderly or immunocompromised.

Wearing of mask, proper hygiene, and good airflow are constant reminders.

Loreche, the spokesperson of the Visayas COVID Vaccination Center, reported that vaccines in Region 7 are not expiring just yet. She made the clarification amidst reports of COVID vaccines expiring in the country.

Of the 11,083,947 doses received in the region, 10,036,335 doses have already been distributed.

The remaining doses are with DOH-7 for vaccination of employees of national government agencies, as well as families of the employees, Loreche said.  – JMO (FREEMAN)