CEBU, Philippines — For the first time in over four months, the number of COVID-19 cases in Cebu City dropped to a single digit in a day on Monday, the data from Emergency Operations Center (EOC) showed.
EOC deputy chief implementer and Cebu City Councilor Joel Garganera said the city only logged seven fresh cases on October 18, the lowest since May this year.
“We’re single-digit today (Monday) at 7 positive cases. The last we had a single-digit was last May 31,” Garganera said.
The city’s total active cases on Monday were 344.
Garganera, however, recognized the fact that there were only few individuals tested over the weekend. He said that out of 496 individuals tested on Monday, only seven turned out positive.
The Department of Health (DOH)- 7 initially reported nine new cases but the EOC had only validated seven. According to EOC, the city also continues to enjoy a low positivity rate. In fact, the city’s positivity rate was only 3.83%, way below the 5% threshold of the World Health Organization (WHO).
EOC also noted that more barangays have reported no transmission. As of Monday, 28 barangays out of the city’s 80 barangays reported no new COVID transmission.
Most of the remaining 52 barangays with active COVID cases, except for Guadalupe, only have less than 10 cases. Guadalupe still has over 20 active cases.
The city also logged two additional deaths on Monday making 21 the total fatalities for the month so far.
Aside from Cebu City, the two other highly urbanized cities in Metro Cebu--Lapu-Lapu and Mandaue-- also reported single-digit in new cases on October 18. Lapu-Lapu City only had three additional cases making 225 its total active cases while Mandaue City logged four new infections bringing its total active cases to 201.
For Cebu Province, the DOH reported 11 new cases on Monday bringing the total active cases to 1,032. — FPL (FREEMAN)