THE proportion of coronavirus infections from Central Visayas in the country’s total case count has increased while those from the National Capital Region (NCR) and Calabarzon have gone down.
Central Visayas has the second highest number of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases in the country, next to the NCR. Calabarzon, or Region 4-A, has the third highest number.
Accounting for the bulk of Central Visayas cases is Cebu City, considered the Covid-19 hotspot outside NCR.
In its latest situation report on the Covid-19 epidemic in the country, the Department of Health (DOH) said the proportion of Central Visayas in the total case count went up to 27 percent for the April 20 to May 14 period from 2.0 percent in the January to April 19 period.
Cases in NCR, or Metro Manila, accounted for 57 percent of the total from April 20 to May 14, lower than the 72 percent for the January to April 19 period.
The proportion of Calabarzon cases, meanwhile, went down to 6.0 percent for the April 20 to May 14 period from 15 percent in the January to April 19 period.
Central Visayas, however, remains a far second to NCR.
On May 14 alone, the DOH said 7,646 cases or 64 percent came from the NCR while 1,755 or 14.7 percent came from Central Visayas.
Calabarzon reported 1,348 cases, or 11 percent, of the total, which reached 11,876 that day.
Of the 1,755 cases in Central Visayas on May 14, 1,699 were from Cebu City.
Cebu City and neighboring Mandaue City are the only two areas in the country that are still under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) until May 31, 2020.
NCR and Laguna, which is part of Calabarzon, are under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ).
Five other provinces and one city are also under MECQ while the rest of the country is under GCQ.
Public transportation systems are suspended and the people are required to stay home, except those authorized to go out of their homes, in ECQ and MECQ areas.
The difference is that under MECQ, some establishments and factories are allowed to resume operations at limited capacity and provided social distancing, wearing of face masks and other minimum health standards are observed.
Under GCQ, the restrictions are relaxed a bit. Public transport systems may resume at limited capacity and more industry sectors are allowed to reopen, also at limited capacity. (MVI/SunStar Philippines)