IT’S turning out to be a very deadly month for the entire Cebu in this phase of the Covid-19 pandemic, as mortalities mount, and new and active cases also reach record highs.
In the first 12 days of August alone, 389 deaths by Covid-19 have been reported on the whole Cebu island, eclipsing the number of Covid deaths in the last three months combined, as the island battles a third wave of infections possibly driven by the more transmissible Delta variant.
With total deaths since the start of the pandemic now at 2,626 out of the 77,204 cumulative cases, the entire Cebu’s case fatality rate is now at 3.4 percent.
Data from the Department of Health (DOH) 7’s case bulletins show that Cebu island saw 388 deaths from May to July 2021, one less than those that have been reported so far this month.
There were 141 Covid deaths reported in May, 48 in June and 199 in July.
The bulk, or 59 percent, of the deaths reported in the first 12 days of August were cases from Cebu Province at 228 deaths.
This was followed by Cebu City, which accounted for 24 percent of deaths (95 deaths); Lapu-Lapu City, 10 percent (37 deaths) and Mandaue City, seven percent (29 deaths).
Cebu Province, which comprises 44 towns and six component cities, makes up 64 percent of Cebu island’s population. Cebu City makes up 19 percent; Lapu-Lapu, 10 percent; and Mandaue, seven percent.
Record highs
All the daily death counts for Cebu island this August have been in double-digits, with Aug. 12 seeing the highest death count for this month so far at 43 deaths.
On the same day, Cebu Province also recorded its highest ever single-day tally of new cases at a whopping 535, bringing its active cases also to a record 4,823.
On the other hand, Cebu City’s active cases on Aug. 12 was 3,806, down from 3,846 the day before.
But this did not stop Cebu island from setting another record, as active cases breached 12,000 for the first time to reach 12,009.
Last month, the DOH 7 confirmed the presence of at least 36 Delta variant cases in Cebu, all of them local cases, of whom two have died. The Delta cases were in Lapu-Lapu City (23), Cebu City (6), Mandaue City (3), Cordova (2) and Samboan (2).
The 389 deaths in the first 12 days of August is higher than any of the monthly Covid death tolls recorded this year.
Even when the second wave of Covid-19 hit Cebu in the first quarter of this year, the monthly death counts were lower.
Cebu island reported 30 Covid deaths for the whole month of January, 89 in February, 226 in March and 113 in April, when hospitals on the island were not yet swamped with patients.
On Thursday, Aug. 12, Cebu City Councilor Joel Garganera, Emergency Operations Center deputy chief implementer, said public and private hospitals in Cebu City were already swamped with Covid cases, bringing critical care utilization rate to 72.7 percent.
But this does not mean that the hospitals still have room for patients, as 263 of the 964 Covid beds are vacant due to the lack of medical personnel who can attend to the Covid patients.
Patients from other parts of Cebu Province have also been trying to get admitted to hospitals in Cebu City.
Alert level
Cebu Province, Cebu City and Lapu-Lapu City have been placed under Alert Level 4, along with 51 other areas, while Mandaue City is among 39 areas under Alert Level 3.
In areas under Alert Level 4, DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said Friday that local government units (LGUs) should enforce granular lockdowns, continue active case finding, may use rapid antigen test in areas with Delta cases, increase hospital beds, ensure enough oxygen supplies, immediately refer severe and critical cases and ensure accessibility of PhilHealth benefits.
Those under Alert Level 3 should implement granular lockdowns, continue active case finding with the possible use of rapid antigen test in areas with Delta cases, and target to decongest hospitals and start increasing the number of hospital beds.
Health capacity issues in areas under either of these two highest alert levels must be addressed not only at the LGU level, but also at the regional and national level.
Central Visayas, which includes Cebu, is one of two regions that are seeing an increase in Covid-19 cases and deaths, Vergeire said. The other is Central Luzon.
“Nationally, deaths are now showing signs of plateauing, which indicates possible increase in the following weeks. Regions 3 (Central Luzon) and 7 (Central Visayas) deaths continue to increase,” Vergeire said.
High risk
Central Visayas is among nine regions classified as high risk due to rising two-week growth rate and average daily attack rate.
Central Visayas came in second to the National Capital Region (NCR) in terms of the average daily attack rate, which was computed at 11.57 per 100,000 population. Cases in the region grew by 57 percent in the recent two weeks.
The region, with a population of more than 8.0 million, is composed of Cebu, Bohol, Negros Oriental and Siquijor.
The other high-risk regions are NCR, Central Luzon, Northern Mindanao, Calabarzon, Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Cordillera and Western Visayas.
Overall, the Philippines was declared high risk earlier in the week.
Vergeire said the national two-week growth rate was 60 percent and the attack rate was 8.37 per 100,000 population in the recent two weeks from July 30 to August 12.
Mandaue City
Only two of those who died from Covid-19 had been vaccinated. The rest were unvaccinated, the Mandaue City Emergency Operations Center (EOC) said Friday.
As of Aug. 12, the DOH 7 case bulletin showed that total Covid-19 deaths in Mandaue City increased to 272, with 29 reported only on Aug. 1 to 12.
EOC deputy head Julius Ceasar Entise, who also heads the contact tracing team, said the two vaccinated individuals who died from Covid-19 had underlying medical conditions.
He stressed that vaccines protect against severe disease and urged those eligible to get that shot.
Entise also said 90 percent of the 1,638 active Covid-19 cases in Mandaue City are also unvaccinated. Those who are vaccinated developed mild or no symptoms.
He said some of those with mild or no symptoms have become complacent.
“Good for you, but would you not feel guilty if you infect a person who develops severe disease and dies? That is why wearing of masks is showing compassion to others,” said Entise.
Meanwhile, Mandaue’s mobile vaccination clinic will be at the San Roque Parish Gym from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 14, to vaccinate senior citizens, persons with disabilities and breastfeeding mothers. It will be in Sitio 6.5 relocation site in Brgy. Paknaan on Aug. 15. ( WITH SUNSTAR PHILIPPINES, KFD )