DAVAO City may experience the surge of Covid-19 cases until mid-march, according to health experts that Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio has consulted.
“One of the doctors na na-storya nako said we will be in the surge until mga mid-march, well hopefully, not. Pero kung forecasting lang ang estoryahan, mga ing ana (One of the doctors I talked with said the Covid-19 surge could last until the middle of March. Hopefully, not. But if we just talk about forecasting, it could last until around that time),” said Duterte-Carpio during a radio interview on Monday, January 24, 2022.
She added, “It is really a surge, so mag remind ta sa tanan nato nga kaigsuonang Dabawenyo nga extra ingat, extra careful when you go out (I am reminding Dabawenyos to be extra careful when you go out).”
As of Monday, January 24, 2022, the active cases in Davao City were at 8,571 and this is expected to climb even more, according to Duterte-Carpio.
“At one point, kita sa Delta (variant) was 14,000, mga ing ana. So layo layo pa gyod ta sa peak aning Omicron (During the surge with the Delta variant, we peaked at around 14,000 active cases. Our current active cases may have not peaked yet considering there is the Omicron variant),” she said.
Meanwhile, Davao City’s Covid-19 Task Force spokesperson Dr. Michelle Schlosser said on January 21 that they are waiting for the data management team and for the prediction of the city epidemiology unit.
“Kung unsa kadugay ang surge, kung mubaba na so that the public will know but these are only predictions (We are waiting for their forecast on the length of the surge and when it could probably go down),” said Schlosser.
Despite the ongoing surge, Duterte-carpio clarified that the City Government will no longer impose lockdowns per barangays or streets, but rather will implement granular lockdowns per household and establishment.
Duterte-Carpio revealed that as of January 24, 822 households have been put under lockdown, as well as one compound and one building that the mayor did not disclose.
The mayor said the City Government has utilized 1,112 personnel for the monitoring of said household and establishments.
Due to the surge, a total of 76 barangays in the city have also been classified as critical risk from January 22 to 29.
These barangays are 1-A, 4-A, 5-A, 7-A, 8-A, 9-A, 10-A, 11-B, 15-B, 18-B, 19-B, 20-B, 21-C, 23-C, 24-C, 25-C, 26-C, 28-C, 32-D, 34-D, 37-D, 38-D, 40-D, A. Angliongto, Sr., Bago Aplaya, Bago Gallera, Baliok, Bato (Toril), Bucana, Buhangin Proper, Bunawan Proper, Cabantian, Cadalian, Calinan Proper, Catalunan Grande, Catalunan Pequeño, Centro (San Juan, Agdao), Communal, Dacudao (Calinan), Daliao, Dumoy, Gov. Paciano Bangoy, Gov. Vicente Duterte, Ilang, Indangan, Kapt. Tomas Monteverde, Sr. (Agdao), Langub, Lapu-lapu (Agdao), Lasang, Leon Garcia, Sr., Lizada (Toril), Maa, Magtuod, Mahayag, Malagos, Mandug, Matina Aplaya, Matina Crossing, Matina Pangi, Mintal, Mulig, Pampanga, Panacan, Rafael Castillo, Sasa, Sto. Niño (Tugbok), Tacunan, Talomo Proper, Tibungco, Tigatto, Toril Proper, Tugbok Proper, Ulas, and V. Hizon, Sr.
Schlosser said earlier that the city’s positivity rate is nearly 50 percent.
Data from the Department of Health (DOH)-Davao also show that the city has been recording over a thousand new Covid-19 cases in the past week.
On January 24, DOH-Davao recorded 841 new Covid-19 cases in Davao City, bringing active cases to 8,571. The city also recorded 303 new recoveries and one death.
Total cases in the city are now at 64,043 wherein total recoveries are at 53,651 and total deaths at 1,812.