THE Department of Health in Central Visayas (DOH 7) is not yet certain whether the cases of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in Cebu’s three highly urbanized cities will decline in the middle of February 2022.
This is was what Dr. Mary Jean Loreche, DOH 7 chief pathologist, told SunStar Cebu following the continuing rise of Covid-19 cases in the cities of Cebu, Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu.
But Loreche said it is highly probable that the tri-cities have not yet reached its peak of active Covid-19 cases in the current surge.
She, however, said they are looking around the middle of February to see whether the numbers will continue to rise, slowly decline or plateau.
She also said following the conclusion of the recent fiesta in honor of the Sto. Niño held on the first two weeks of January, there may still be the possibility that the number of Covid-19 cases could rise not just in Cebu City but also in neighboring local government units.
Octa Research fellow Dr. Guido David earlier said that Cebu City remains at “very high risk” for Covid-19 and that cases “could be peaking soon.”
Data from Cebu City Emergency Operations Center (EOC) showed that as of Wednesday, January 26, 2022, the city logged 577 new cases of Covid-19, bringing the total number of active cases to 7,555.
Based on the data from the DOH, Mandaue City had 1,308 Covid-19 active cases while Lapu-Lapu City had 1,595 on the same day.
Councilor Joel Garganera, who is deputy chief implementer of the Cebu City EOC, said the city logged eight new Covid-19 deaths, bringing the total number of deaths in the first 26 days of January to 39.
Of the eight additional deaths, Garganera said seven of whom were unvaccinated while the other one was fully vaccinated in which Covid was incidental.
But Loreche clarified that the Covid deaths are not purely due to Covid-19, saying that patients are admitted because of other reasons such as stroke, heart attack, or those needing elective surgery.
In addition, Cebu City’s daily positivity rate was at 42.90 percent out of 1,345 individuals tested on January 26.