New cases high in workplaces

CEBU, Philippines —  Recent coronavirus infections in Cebu City are coming from the workplaces, the city government’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) disclosed.

EOC, in a report, said work-related transmission of COVID-19 accounted for 21.46 percent for the past 14 days.

“It has the highest percentage among outside transmissions over the past two weeks,” it said.

These workplaces include some government and private offices.

City Councilor and EOC deputy chief Joel Garganera said workers not compliant with the health protocols contacted the virus from parties and other big gatherings.

He said they reported for work not aware that they were already infected.

“This resulted in multiple, simultaneous transmissions in workplaces,” said Garganera.

The workers also transmitted the virus in their respective households, he added.

“The public should observe all COVID health protocols all the time, whether you are at home or at work,” he said.

Outside transmission, including in workplaces, remains high at 87.21 percent, while household transmission is at 12.78 percent.

The outside transmission includes exposure to COVID-19 positive at 12.04 percent, supermarkets at 8.37 percent, and public/barangay markets at 7.85 percent, among others.

Other sources of transmission for the past two weeks include karenderias/pungko-pungko (eateries), birthday parties, fiestas, malls, remittance centers, funeral homes, dialysis centers, hospitals/facility centers, and conferences/seminars.

To stop such transmissions, the government recently began more aggressively imposing the health and quarantine protocols for public and private gatherings.

The protocols include the wearing of facemasks and face shields, social distancing, proper hand washing, and checking of body temperature, among others.

So far, the daily average of positive patients has significantly increased to 14.15 percent from last month’s daily average of 7.38 percent, according to the EOC report.

On a daily basis, the city is testing about a thousand individuals, including second generation contacts and not just close contacts, for further surveillance.

Active Cases

In a separate development, the active COVID-19 cases in Cebu City have jumped to 330 after recording 25 additional cases on Thursday, November 19, data of the Department of Health in Central Visayas (DOH-7) showed.

Per the DOH-7 data, the number of active cases in the city on Wednesday is at 306.

As of Thursday, the city’s total number of cases has reached 10,529.

On the other hand, the cities of Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu have 78 and 117 active cases, respectively.

Mandaue City has 2,633 total cases as 12 new cases were recorded, while Lapu-Lapu City has 2,566 cases after recording 22 additional cases.

The cities of Cebu, Mandaue, and Lapu-Lapu logged no new recoveries, maintaining the total recoveries in the tri-cities at 9,517, 2,391, and 2,341, respectively.

The tri-cities along with Cebu Province also recorded no new deaths. The total number of deaths stands at 682 in Cebu, 164 in Mandaue, 108 in Lapu-Lapu, and 400 in the province.

In Cebu Province, the total number of cases is at 6,661, 342 of which are active, including 41 additional cases.

The total number of recoveries is at 5,919, 11 of these were new.

As of Thursday, the total number of COVID-19 cases in Central Visayas is at 23,541 with 1,191 active cases, 20,976 total reported recoveries, and 1,374 total reported deaths. - Mary Ruth R. Malinao, KQD