Cebu City still lowest in fatality rate

The much-awaited breaking news came from the IATF (Interagency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases) that issued Resolution No.35 placing low risk (minimum standards) for General Community Quarantine (GCQ) from Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ). This puts the entire Region-7 or Central Visayas under GCQ except for Cebu City, which has been placed under Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ) from May 16 to 31.

The government has released the MECQ that would be implemented in areas tagged as containment zones. This means limited movement within a zone for obtaining essential services and work, resumption of operation of selected manufacturing and processing plants up to a maximum of 50 percent workforce. It also means limited transportation services for essential goods and services and suspension of physical classes.

So if our readers want to know or compare the difference: For those under ECQ there is no movement regardless of age and health status and minimal economic activity except for utility services such as food, power and water and the critical economic sector. No transportation activity except for utility services and the suspension of physical classes.

Now why was Cebu City placed under MECQ? Honestly I can only suspect that the IATF felt that due to the mass testing being done in Cebu City barangays, suddenly Cebu City has now become the epicenter of those infected with COVID-19 with 1,660 confirmed cases. Quezon City, which used to be the  no. 1 is now second to Cebu City.

However, I would like to point out to the IATF that Cebu City is still the lowest when it comes to death or fatality rate with only 11 compared to 121 deaths in Quezon City, 69 in Manila, 39 in Paranaque and 30 in Makati. I was surprised to find out that the Cebu City health office has a lower figure on deaths, which listed only nine while the Department of Health (DOH) in Region-7 has only 11 fatalities. I found out that there are only nine deaths in Cebu City and two deaths from the city jail.

I have been asking the Cebu City health office and DOH as to why they have different numbers in the deaths due to COVID-19, I only got a deafening silence from both national and local office. In fact I asked these agencies what was the number of fatalities in Cebu City before the COVID-19 pandemic began. But I still haven’t gotten any response from these agencies. I’m asking this question because I would like to believe that Cebu City with its population close to a million would have a higher number of deaths even before the COVID-19 pandemic began. But that apparently is not happening.

To be totally honest with our readers whenever I drop by St. Peter’s Funeral Home you could hardly find a parking space due to so many wakes. I recall that there was a time when a dozen corpses had to wait for cremation because they were full. Mind you this was long before the COVID-19 shut us down. So I would like to believe that the only reason why Cebu City overtook Quezon City in terms of infected people is due to our mass testing, which gives you a more honest report on what really is happening in Cebu City. But the fact is Cebu City still has the lowest death rate compared to all the other cities listed by the DOH!

Meanwhile I heard that Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Leonor Briones announced that private schools capable of adopting distance learning modes of education may be allowed to start classes before the scheduled opening of public elementary and high schools.

However she pointed out that this is in line with the law allowing the opening of classes between the first Monday of June to the last day of August. We are now in the middle of May, therefore in just a month, school season would open up unless the IATF decides otherwise. However, Sec. Briones said schools that plan to open early should secure approval first from DepEd regional offices.

With Cebu City on MECQ at this point, I would like to suggest to the DepEd that it is high time for the national school season to follow the school season of the United States, which is in September. Hopefully by September there would be no need for schools to conduct flexible learning options to limit physical interaction between students and minimize transmission of the coronavirus disease. By that time we would no longer be required to do social distancing or need face masks. Of course things may still change for the better or get worse. We’ll cross the bridge when we really get there.

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