THE whole of Cebu is finally on the same page after more than five months into the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.
If you don’t know what I’m talking about, I’m referring to the quarantine status of local government units in the island.
On Monday night, Aug. 31, 2020, it was announced that the stragglers – by that, I mean the cities of Cebu, Mandaue, Lapu-Lapu and the towns of Consolacion and Minglanilla – would be on modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) like the rest of the province starting Sept. 1 until Sept. 30.
In Cebu City, the number of patients recovering from the disease has outweighed the number of active Covid cases which stand past 600. Most of the infected display mild symptoms and only a few are in critical condition.
I won’t get into the specifics, but that’s the general trend. Not just in Cebu City, by the way, but also in the rest of the metro and the province.
It’s something that we, hard-headed Cebuanos, should be proud of.
Indeed, Cebu City has come a long way since it was dubbed the epicenter of Covid-19 in the archipelago back in June when cases spike after the city was placed on GCQ for two weeks.
Perhaps a nice pat on the back is in order.
Meanwhile, I hope people have learned their lesson because we’re not out of the woods yet.
As authorities keep reminding the public, Sars-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, is still among us and will remain so unless a cure is found or a vaccine is made available.
To lower the risk of infection, health protocols are still in place. People still have to wear face masks or face shields or both. They still have to observe social distancing.
Actually, nothing much has changed now that Cebu is on MGCQ except more establishments are opening up and those that already are can accommodate more customers.
In Cebu City, Mayor Edgardo Labella announced that people would still have to carry quarantine passes when outdoors. I heard it’s the same in the other cities and towns in the metro except for Cordova, which has done away with the requirement.
So don’t drop your guard against Covid-19. We cannot afford a relapse.
I’m sure Brig. Gen. Albert Ignatius Ferro, director of the Police Regional Office 7, received some flak when he asked for a status quo in Cebu.
Apparently, there aren’t enough police to enforce health guidelines since many have been pulled out and deployed to other places in the country that reported a resurgence in Covid cases.
He’s afraid the same can happen here, which is a big possibility if we don’t maintain vigilance against the disease.