THE World Health Organization (WHO) representative in the Philippines on Friday, July 3, 2020, expressed concern over the increasing cases of coronavirus infection in some regions outside the capital.
WHO Representative Rabindra Abeyasinghe said the large number of cases among locals returning from the National Capital Region or overseas and their close contacts is “a worrying phenomenon”.
"We are seeing increasing evidence of a large number of cases being reported from Regions 4A, 3, 10, 12, and 8 and maybe a few other regions," Abeyasinghe said in a virtual press briefing Friday.
DOH data show that Central Luzon has a total of 983 cases, including 164 seen over the last 14 days, while Calabarzon has a total of 2,816 cases, including 577 seen over the last 14 days
Eastern Visayas has a total of 367 cases, including 159 over the last two weeks.
Northern Mindanao now has a total of 131 cases, including 51 over the last 14 days while Soccsksargen has 64 cases, including 18 in the last 14 days.
DOH earlier said a large number of the cases in May and June involved repatriated overseas Filipino workers and locally stranded individuals.
The protocol is that these travelers must test negative for Sars-CoV-2 and undergo quarantine before they are allowed to return to their provinces, where they will undergo another 14-day quarantine.
Abeyasinghe said it is imperative for the national government to ensure that all province-bound individuals are properly tested and quarantined.
Meanwhile, Abeyasinghe echoed the government’s observation that the rise in cases in Cebu City is due to low compliance to safety measures.
"As we work together with the government and the regional health department to understand what was happening in Cebu City, it has become clear that the compliance with the quarantining guidelines and the procedures were not optimum in Cebu City," said Abeyasinghe.
He also said the stigma has dissuaded people from getting tested for the virus.
"All of these issues have contributed to increased transmission," said Abeyasinghe. (HDT/SunStar Philippines)