NO NEW coronavirus infection has been reported in 36 barangays in Cebu City in the last two weeks, City Attorney Rey Gealon said on Monday, Sept. 14, 2020.
The barangays with zero case of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) are Calamba, Adlaon, Agsungot, Babag, Bonbon, Budlaan, Buot, Cambinocot, Day-as, Ermita, Guba, Kinasang-an Pardo, Lusaran, Mabini, Malubog, Pamutan, Paril, Pasil, Pulang Bato, Pung-ol Sibugay, Quiot, San Antonio, San Nicolas Proper, Sto. Niño, Sawang Calero, Sinsin, Sirao, Suba, Sudlon 1, Sudlon II, T. Padilla, Tabunan, Tagba-o, Taptap, Tinago, and Toong.
Four of these barangays - Taptap, Paril, Buot and Sudlon 1 - have been Covid-19 free since the epidemic started in Cebu City in March.
Three barangays are about to be added to the list of Covid-19-free barangays, said Cebu City Councilor Joel Garganera, the deputy chief implementer of the Emergency Operations Center (EOC).
He said these three barangays are about to reach 14 days with no new case.
Garganera hoped these barangays will remain free of the disease.
He reminded the public, especially the residents of the barangays mentioned above, to avoid being complacent and continue to strictly observe the health protocols.
Active cases
The barangays with the highest number of active cases are: Apas (39); Tisa (19); Lahug (15); Guadalupe (14); Talamban (14); Bacayan and Mabolo (11 each); Bulacao and Camputhaw (8 each); Basak San Nicolas, Busay, Capitol Site, and Pit-os (7 each); Labangon, Cogon Pardo, Inayawan, Luz, and Tejero (4 each); Basak Pardo, Lorega San Miguel, Pahina San Nicolas (3 each); Sambag 1, Carreta, Binaliw, Buhisan, Cogon Ramos, Kamagayan, Mambaling, Punta Princesa, Sambag 2, San Roque, Sapangdaku, and Zapatera (2 each).
Garganera said the EOC is currently focusing on Barangay Apas, which reported new cases in the last three days.
Police were deployed in the barangay to educate residents about the importance of complying with health protocols.
They also distributed 1,000 face masks that were donated by the EOC.
Cebu City had a total of 9,742 cases of Covid-19 with 385 remaining active cases, 8,696 recoveries and 661 mortalities as of Sept. 13.
Testing
Meanwhile, more than 57,000 individuals in Cebu City have been swabbed for the coronavirus using the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test.
Gealon, spokesperson of Mayor Edgardo Labella, attributed this to the aggressive contact tracing efforts of the City Government as well as the free swab test offered in the five cluster clinics.
Since March, Gealon said the City has been conducting swab tests, having secured 10,000 test kits even before Covid-19 cases soared in the city.
Barangay Guadalupe has the most number of individuals who were tested using the RT-PCR test, followed by Barangay Lahug, said Garganera.
The higher the population, the higher the number of residents tested, he added.
No data was available on the number of people tested per barangay. (JJL)