Still Fragile

In a dialogue about Cebu City COVID-19 Data Tracking hosted by the Regional Center of Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development (RCE-Cebu) last Tuesday afternoon, our resource speakers, independent data tracker, Dennis Tagamolila, and statistician/associate professor and member of the Resilience Institute of the University of the Philippines, Peter Julian Cayton, showed encouraging data about better hospital capacity, reproductive numbers and positivity rates in Cebu City, among others.

Officials may view these promising July COVIDS-19 indicators as quarantine protocol guidelines for Cebu City, the barangays and sitios.

Both speakers, however, raised the serious caution that because the virus is still active, Cebu City remains fragile. This is not yet the time to cheer and let our guards down. Even if the quarantine status may be relaxed in terms of movement and regulations, everyone has to remember and be reminded unceasingly that even with just one positive case, the virus can continue to be passed on and spread if health protocols are ignored.

Everyone should continue to follow the advice to avoid the virus- wear face masks, practice physical distancing, avoid crowds, stay home, wash your hands frequently with water or alcohol, keep our immune system healthy, and so on.

Regardless of the type of quarantine, always remember: the virus is still active and there is still no vaccine for its cure available.

Barangays officials still need to daily remind their constituents to stay safe to stay alive. Even if their barangay or sitio quarantine status may be downgraded, their residents allowed more movement and perks, all residents have to realize and be made to remember always to remain vigilant because the virus is still lurking around in their midst.

Barangays and sitios should not forget that even those with zero or declining active cases are surrounded by other sitios and barangays that have COVID-19 cases.

Hence, in spite of the clear data about less active cases, more available beds in hospitals, and so on for certain days of July, without proper vigilant caution, the virus can strike anyone at any time.

Cebu City’s present situation continues to be precariously fragile. Please, please continue to take precaution, stay safe, and stay alive.

The July 28 dialogue also conveyed the importance and power of data (reliable, stable and updated) for containing the virus and saving lives. Existing problems related to data, data management and processing need to be harmonized, resolved and publicly shared, soonest, not later please. Calling Cebu City EOC!

Thank God for the reliable COVID-19 data and updates provided by the Pandemic Team and Resilience Institute of the University of the Philippines and independent trackers like Dennis Tagamolila.

For COVID-19 data and updates for Cebu city and other parts of the Philippines, please check out endcov.ph and RCE-Cebu FB page.

If you are interested to listen to the July 28 presentations, please go to the Facebook page of Regional Center of Expertise-Cebu for a recording of that dialogue.

Mr. Tagamolila discussed the following topics: PART 1: He Said She Said, Where Can We Find Data? Why is there a Discrepancy in Local and National Case Reporting?, What does Old and Fresh Data Mean? A Tidal Wave of Infection, PART 2 :The Battle of the Sexes. It's all in the Age. Mortality and Survival, Are we Getting Better? And PART 3: Positivity Rate, What Does that Mean? How Do We Know if We've Tested Enough? Are our Hospitals Overwhelmed?

Dr. Cayton shared the following: I) About UP Pandemic Response Team and L4H Consortium, II) Data Sources, III. Statistics produced by UP Pandemic Response Team, and IV) Insights on Cebu: COVID-19 Epidemiological Metrics and Hospital Capacity: A. The Province B. The City C. The Barangays.