Cebu City very high risk for COVID-19 – OCTA

CEBU, Philippines — Cebu City is still ”very high risk” for COVID-19 as new cases continued to increase in the past week, the OCTA Research Group said yesterday.

Citing data from the Department of Health, OCTA fellow Guido David said the city recorded 722 new cases per day from Jan. 19 to 25, more than double the 325 daily tally in the preceding week.

The average daily new cases rose from 31 to 69 per 100,000 people.

The seven-day positivity rate, which measures the number of those found infected out of those tested, increased from 36 to 40 percent.

The city recorded 5,961 active cases as of Tuesday.

David said the reproduction number or the number of people that a positive individual can infect went down from 4.64 to 2.99.

He said health care utilization in Cebu City increased from a “low” 45 percent to “moderate” 68 percent while intensive care unit capacity rose from “very low” 28 percent to low 42 percent.

The risk level of Cebu City is considered “very high” based on indicators used by OCTA, David said.

The group had earlier noted surges in active cases in various parts of the country as new infections decline in Metro Manila and nearby provinces.

COVID shots for tourists

Meanwhile, tourists can now get their COVID vaccine and booster shots in Baguio City.

The city government opened a vaccination site at a drugstore at a mall and at the Baguio Athletic Bowl yesterday.

Mayor Benjamin Magalong, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, National Task Force Against COVID-19 deputy chief implementer and testing czar Vince Dizon, Baguio Rep. Mark Go and Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat attended the launch of the vaccination sites.

Puyat said the Department of Tourism is “looking forward to seeing the initiative implemented in other parts of the country in the coming weeks.”

Baguio City is open to tourists provided they present a negative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction or antigen test taken within 72 hours and 24 hours, respectively, prior to arrival. – Ghio Ong