Cebu mulls mass grave for COVID-19 fatalities

CEBU, Philippines — As the COVID death toll climbed to 50 this month, the city government of Cebu is looking for a site that will be turned into a mass gave for the fatalities.

Local officials have inspected an area in Barangay Adalon that could possibly become the grave site of the COVID victims, said Councilor Joel Garganera, deputy chief of the city emergency operations center and implementer.

“Major cities such as New York and Italy are into mass burial. That is something that is also bound to happen if the mortality rate that we are experiencing now will continue,” Garganera said during yesterday’s press conference.

Although it is considering a mass grave, the city government is doing everything it can to look for and provide individual burial lots.

Officials have agreed that crematoriums would prioritize COVID-related deaths.

As this developed, the Cebu Chamber of Commerce responded to a call of acting city mayor Michael Rama for donation of body bags.

“Bags that were used by COVID fatalities are not meant to be recycled, that’s why more is needed,” Rama said.

Cebu City logged 3,316 active COVID cases as of yesterday.

28 RORO crewmen catch COVID-19

Meanwhile, 28 of 82 crewmembers and officers of a roll-on roll-off vessel tested positive for COVID, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported yesterday.

The MV St. Anthony de Padua is undergoing quarantine in Bauan, Batangas. Three of its infected officers were taken to hospitals after showing severe symptoms.

Aside from the 82 officers and crewmembers, there were no known passengers onboard the vessel.

Authorities are patrolling around the vessel to ensure that no one would board or disembark, PCG-Southern Tagalog District deputy chief Capt. Geronimo Tuvilla said.

“The M/V St. Anthony de Padua came from Caticlan in Aklan and was already in Batangas when one of the crewmembers started showing symptoms. The person tested positive for COVID and everyone was subjected to the same test,” Tuvilla said.

Three – the chief officer, second officer and second engineer – showed severe symptoms and were brought to different hospitals, accordng to Commodore Armand Balilo, spokesman for the PCG. – Evelyn Macairan