Almost half of Davao Covid-19 cases 'imported'

Almost half of Davao Covid-19 cases 'imported'

THE arrival of locally stranded individuals (LSIs) and returning overseas Filipinos (ROF) may have contributed to the surge in the number of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases in Davao Region, data from the Department of Health (DOH) regional office revealed.

As of July 13, Davao Region has recorded a total of 733 Covid-19 cases and 205 or 26.5 percent are LSIs and ROFs.

Of the 205, 121 are LSIs and 84 are ROFs.

Except for Davao Occidental, majority of the Covid-19 positive cases in the provinces the region are LSIs, ROFs, and workers returning from Manila and Cebu.

In Davao de Oro, around 84 percent or 46 of the 55 Covid-19 cases are LSIs (32) and ROFs (14). Local cases in the province are only nine.

Davao del Norte recorded 27 LSIs and 29 ROFs who have tested positive for the Sars-CoV-2. Combined, they represent around 75 percent of the 75 Covid-19 cases in the province. Local cases are only 19.

Of the 48 Covid-19 cases in Davao Oriental, 23 are LSIs and 12 are ROFs.

Local transmission in the province is only 13 cases.

In Davao del Sur, 34 percent or 10 of the 29 Covid-19 cases are LSIs (6) and ROFs (4). The bulk of the cases in the province are local cases with 19.

All four cases in Davao Occidental are local cases.

Meanwhile, of the 562 Covid-19 cases in Davao City, 58 are coming from LSIs (33) and ROF (25). Around 90 percent of the cases in Davao City are local cases at 504.

In a radio interview on Monday, July 13, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio said the city saw an increase in active cases with the arrival of the LSIs and ROFs.

She said they have tested 166 returning residents and 15 of them were found positive of the Sars-Cov-2, the virus causing the Covid-19 disease.

Since the resumption of domestic flights and the return of ROFs and LSIs through government assistance, the mayor has said over the radio multiple times that they are expecting a spike in Covid-19 cases in the city.

"Nagdaghan ni siya tungod sa mga naga positive nga LSIs and OFWs as expected on top of our local transmission (Covid-19 cases in city increase because of the arrival of LSIs and OFWs, which was expected. This is on top of our local transmission)," she said.

Since the general community quarantine (GCQ) period, a total of 9,598 ROFs and LSIs have already arrived in the region.

In a statement, DOH-Davao Director Annabelle Yumang said another reason for the rise in the Covid-19 numbers in the region is the additional testing laboratories in the region.

Covid-19 testing is being done at Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC), Davao Regional Medical Center (DRMC), and the Davao One World Diagnostics.

She said that with the trend, they are expecting that the health facilities will be fully utilized.

She said the region has a total of 5,963 beds from different local government units' (LGUs) Temporary Treatment Monitoring Facilities (TTMFs) and only 25 percent or 1,495 are occupied.

"These facilities provide close monitoring of the confirmed person's status and symptoms, and referrals should the need arise. The LGUs are strengthening their contact tracing and monitoring close contacts at the barangay level," she said.

"We continue to appeal to the public to be responsible in protecting themselves and others against Covid-19," she added.

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