DAVAO City Health Office (CHO) head Dr. Tomas Miguel Ababon said Covid-19 cases in the city have continued to decline.
“Ang kaso na to karun sa Covid-19 nagkagamay naman pud. ‘Tong imaging bulan, naay ma-admit, last na ko ma-recall nasa 180 plus, almost 200 ang admitted, tapos ang positive kada-adlaw naay moabot nga tag-74 mao to paghuman sa araw ng Dabaw (our Covid-19 cases are decreasing. However, there was a time that it almost reached 200 active cases with around 74 positive cases per day. This was right after the Araw ng Dabaw),” he said in an interview on Davao City Disaster Radio on June 12, 2023.
“Pero mao na to siya ang pinakataas, sunod naga-20, naga-18, 17 to 14 karun syete, singko [cases] gamay nalang g’yud kaayo ang mag-positive (But that’s the highest number of cases so far, then eventually it dropped to 20, then it became 18, 17, 14. Now we are recording seven or five cases at a time),” he added.
He said that one of the factors that contributed to the low rate of Covid-19 cases is due to an effective vaccination campaign.
Meanwhile, Ababon said that facemask guidelines are still in effect despite the majority of Dabawenyos not wearing them either in public or private places.
“Naa gihapon ‘tong guidelines, na mag-mask sa public transportation, sa mga offices, sa mga health facilities (Wearing of face masks is still required in public transportation, offices, and health facilities),” he said.
He added that Dabawenyos should not be too complacent.
“Dili gihapon ta magkumpyansa, ilabi na ‘tong naay mga balatian, katong naa sa mga vulnerable group, katong naay mga chronic na sakit – sama sa diabetes, hypertension, senior citizen ug mga bata (We should not be complacent, especially those who have chronic diseases and in the vulnerable group),” he said.
“So, kung pwede mag-mask [sila] ilabi na kung crowded (As much as possible, they should wear a mask, especially if the place is too crowded),” he added.
During their 15th meeting of the International Health Regulations (IHR) Emergency Committee on May 4, 2023, World Health Organization (WHO) declared that "Covid-19 is now an established and ongoing health issue which no longer constitutes a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC)."