In Cebu City after spike in COVID-19 cases: More testing pushed anew

CEBU, Philippines —  The chief pathologist of the Department of Health (DOH) - 7 has suggested implementing aggressive testing anew in Cebu City following a spike in the number of COVID-19 cases.

“We noticed that prior to the spike that we had most recently, there has been a decline in the swabbing,” said Dr. Mary Jean Loreche.

Loreche said aggressive testing means conducting more tests but, more importantly, strategizing the tests in such a way that it will cover all sectors, including workplaces in both private and public sectors.

The city’s Emergency Operations Center said recently that 21.46 percent of the outside transmissions are coming from different workplaces.

The EOC is considering of heeding Loreche’s suggestion for surveillance purposes.

Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu, the overseer of Task Force COVID Cebu, agrees with an aggressive testing.

"The virus strikes in ambush. It attacks when you least expect it to so we must be ready at all times," Cimatu was quoted as saying.

Based on DOH-7’s November 21 case bulletin, Cebu City has a total of 351 active cases including 15 new ones.

Barangay Luz

In a related development, Barangay Luz, where the fire outbreak of COVID-19 in the city was traced, is establishing its own EOC to prevent a resurgence of the virus after recording six new cases this month.

“We are establishing this barangay emergency operations center to help us augment our COVID-19 crisis management and relief efforts,” said its spokesperson, Eldebrian Arañez, on Facebook.

The barangay has not recorded a case for more than a month until last week, showing that the virus is still very much around.

The barangay ECO will concentrate on four areas – data gathering, tracing and monitoring, relief operations and logistics, and public safety.

Those in charge of the data center are expected to coordinate closely with the Cebu City EOC for validation of confirmed cases while the tracing and monitoring team will be assisted by the EOC, barangay health emergency response team, and contact tracers from the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).

“This team will help us monitor those close contacts sa mag-positive and ensure nga strict granular lockdown will be imposed,” Arañez said.

(This team will help us monitor those who have come in close contact with residents who test positive and ensure that granular lockdown will be imposed.)

Relief operations will focus on probable cases and suspected COVID-19 patients who are awaiting test results.

“Ensure nga mahatag dayun ang ayuda while they are still on strict granular lockdown,” Arañez said.

(They will ensure that assistance will be given immediately while the residents are under strict granular lockdown.)

Those in charge of public safety, on the other hand, will implement safety and health protocols, including wearing of mask and face shields, social distancing, and regular washing of hands.

Even with the barangay EOC, Arañez reminded everyone to remain vigilant and cooperative, and to stay disciplined.

“We have to remain vigilant ug dili mukumpyansa. Ang kontra gyud nato ani is kanang mukompyansa ta tanan,” he said.

(We should remain vigilant and to not be complacent. Our enemy is complacency.)

Barangay Luz was on lockdown for almost four months. In May, it was recording at least 200 COVID-19 cases. Two months prior, one of its sitios, Zapatera, was put on lockdown on April 7, 2020 after it recorded its first positive case. — JMO (FREEMAN)