IN THE first seven and a half months of 2021, Cebu has already recorded more than double the 23,172 Covid-19 cases it recorded in the whole of 2020.
Data from the Aug. 13, 2021 bulletin of the Department of Health 7 show that the entire Cebu has recorded 54,929 Covid-19 cases so far this year, 137 percent more than the cases recorded in the entire 2020.
The first Covid-19 case in Cebu was reported on March 18, 2020 in Mandaue City.
Cebu City accounted for the bulk of the 54,929 cases reported this year at 41 percent of cases or 22,569 cases, followed by Cebu Province, 18,184 cases (33 percent); Lapu-Lapu City, 7,515 cases (14 percent); and Mandaue City, 6,661 cases (12 percent).
With its 3,913 active cases on Aug. 13, Cebu City also eclipsed its all-time-high 3,852 active cases recorded on July 7, 2020 as it now battles a third wave of Covid-19 cases that has overwhelmed its hospitals.
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.
In terms of number of deaths in the entire Cebu, the 1,291 deaths so far this year are approaching the whole-year 2020 total of 1,384 deaths.
More than half of the deaths this year or 56 percent were recorded in Cebu Province (730 deaths), followed by Cebu City with 335 deaths (26 percent), Lapu-Lapu City with 124 deaths (10 percent) and Mandaue City with 102 deaths (eight percent).
The first wave of Covid-19 cases in Cebu was reported in May 2020.
The second wave occurred in the early months of this year following the Christmas and New Year holidays, the first arrival of Covid-19 variants and the general complacency of residents in following health protocol after cases dropped at yearend.