Cabaero: Discrepancies in reports

Cabaero: Discrepancies in reports

THE Department of Health (DOH) central office issues every afternoon without fail the national report on the number of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases.

The report is dated that same day at 4 p.m. and is posted on the DOH page on Facebook after a few minutes. The next report comes out the next day. It has a regularity that the public can depend on in this time of uncertainty.

Other reports are not that regular. The DOH 7 admitted last week that its report on the Central Visayas count is one day late. This delay results in discrepancies between the reports of the DOH 7 and local government units (LGUs) released by the mayor or governor or their health or information offices.

The DOH 7 explained that the one-day delay is to give time for the official DOH Covid-19 tracker to be updated to reflect regional numbers. However, local government units are given real-time data that they can release to the public and to the media.

It is up to the person getting all the information to read the small print and note the dates when the report was made and released. But that is not the case for many people on social media who do not bother to do more than read the large print.

At times, there are discrepancies between the numbers given by the mayor and the person or office under him.

With the different totals and numbers, people feel they have to play catch-up to understand the extent of the coronavirus risk in their locality. Or they blame the DOH, their local officials and the media for confusing them.

This shows how important it is to come up with validated information in a timely manner and at a schedule people can depend on with regularity.

* * *

Rapid testing in Cebu City started last Wednesday, May 6, 2020, with a low turnout of residents who were identified to take the test. Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu cities started on the same date and with similar difficulties.

In Mandaue City, turnout started low but gradually increased until, on its fifth day of testing on May 10, two of its barangays exceeded targets. Barangays Subangdaku and Cambaro have gone beyond targets.

Barangay Subangdaku had 667 residents tested, way over or 103 percent of the target of 643. Barangay Cambaro tested 483 residents or 114.73 percent of the 421 listed. Local leaders attributed this to massive information campaigns, at times going house-to-house, to try to convince residents that their fears were baseless and safety practices would be undertaken. Well, there was also the reward of three kilos of rice to every person who got tested. Some volunteered to take the test because a negative result would allow them to return to work once businesses reopen.

Cebu and Lapu-Lapu cities are also seeing improvements in reaching those targeted for testing.

These are small mercies in the fight to stop the spread of the infection.

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