Cebu Covid Cases Now at 33

Cebu now has three more positive cases of the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

These include a 31-year old male from Mandaue City, a 57-year old male from Cebu City, and a 54-year old male from Consolacion town.

Department of Health (DOH) 7 director Dr. Jaime Bernadas disclosed on Wednesday, April 1 that these three resulted positive out of the 60 specimen tested at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC), an accredited sub-national laboratory.

“After two successive days nga nag-negative ang atong mga tests, karon naa’y tulo ka bag-o napuno sa 30 kabuok. Sa region-wide, duna natay 33 COVID-19 cases,” he said in a press conference together with Governor Gwendolyn Garcia.

Bernadas said they have already informed the hospitals as well as the city and municipality health officers where the patients reside to conduct necessary containment procedures.

The patients were also informed of the result while contact-tracing is being done, he added.

Bernadas said that more specimen will be arriving at VSMMC after conducting field tests. Swab tests were conducted to those with influenza-like illness (ILI).

He also added that there are no testing backlogs at VSMMC.

As of 5:00PM of April 1, Cebu City already has 21 positive cases with two recoveries and four deaths. Two cases have been recorded in Lapu-lapu City, two in Mandaue City, and three in Cebu Province – Talisay City and the towns of Cordova and Consolacion.

Bernadas said they had already identified the carrier that infected the doctor couple who died of COVID-19.

“Ang na-trace nato nga possible contact is kadtong ilang pag-umangkon nga gikan sa Manila, nga diin karon usab na-test na,” he said, adding that the couple’s nephew had been asymptomatic upon arrival from Manila and remained asymptomatic for quiet some time.

The positive case in Consolacion has long been on home quarantine after his travel from abroad, the health chief added.

In Cebu Province, Garcia shared there are 143 cases of ILI and 11 cases of severe cute respiratory infections (SARI) admitted in the province-run hospitals.

There are also 27 ILI cases and three SARI cases who are on home quarantine.

As of March 31, the province has 3,432 persons under monitoring who are undergoing the mandatory 14-day quarantine.

To protect the Cebuanos from the pandemic, Garcia issued a series of executive orders (EO) including EO No. 5-O which restricts people’s movement while Cebu is under enhanced community quarantine.

Those coming from Cebu City are not allowed to enter the province unless included in the exempted persons listed in the EO.

The governor issued EO No. 5-O-1 which added the personnel working in some essential establishments in the list of border exemptions following a request from Talisay City Mayor Gerald Anthony “Samsam” Gullas and Consolacion Mayor Joannes Alegado.

These establishments include grocery stores and supermarkets, drugstores and pharmacies, restaurants, bakeries, fast food chains, and pizza chains.

Funeral services are also exempted which cover funeral parlor employees, immediate family of the deceased, and officiating priests, imams, pastors, and other religious ministers.

However, only 10 persons are allowed in funeral services and strict social distancing must be observed at all times, were included in the exemptions.

Garcia commended the courtesy Gullas and Alegado showed when they appeared before her office to ask for the extension of list of exemption.

The governor shared that she has been attacked because of the measures being implemented, saying that these would bring the “end of her political carrier.”

“Let me assure you. My political carrier is the farthest from my mind right now because this isn’t about votes, this is about saving lives,” Garcia said.

“And no matter unsaon ko ninyo pag-atake magpadayon lang gihapon ko niini akong tinguha nga buhaton nako ang tanan nga akong masalbar ang Sugbuanon. Kung mahimo lang unta magtinabangay ta, dili ta mag-inatakehay karon. Dili ni panahon sa pang-atake,” she stressed. (SN)