The island of Cebu recorded 2,881 COVID-19 cases and 100 fatalities from August 1 to 4, data from the Department of Health (DOH) showed.
Cebu recorded 850 cases on Aug. 1, followed by 657 on Aug. 2, another 652 on Aug. 3, and 722 on Aug. 4. Authorities expressed concern that active cases may increase in the coming days, which is currently at around 9,000.
“Considering also the number of cases that we’ve been experiencing on a daily basis, parang tataas pa ito,” Councilor Joel Garganera, Cebu City Emergency Operation Center chief, said.
Majority of those who died are unvaccinated individuals and are senior citizens.
“Problema din natin ngayon ang ating mga funeral parlors. Kung mayroong magpa-cremate ngayon, sa susunod na linggo pa ‘yan ma cremate,” Garganera said.
“Dahil sa dami, may isang crematorium tayo dito na nasira, so ang problema ang ating refrigeration, freezer,” he added.
Due to the current case trend, more than 400,000 thousand individuals have registered for inoculation. Around 120,000 individuals have been vaccinated in Cebu, 81,000 of whom are fully vaccinated.
Oxygen
The DOH-Region 7 warned the public against self-medication amid the increasing demand for medical oxygen tanks due to the ongoing spike in the number of cases.
“It’s not right to do self-medication, because you know oxygen is flammable, and that will be a greater risk of accidents rather than protecting our COVID-19 patients,” DOH-7 Dir. Dr. Jaime Bernadas said.
“I have to remind them now, please do that very carefully, do that with medical personnel. Home medication can be done through supervision with our medical personnel,” Bernadas added.
The Philippine National Police (PNP) and Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) are monitoring oxygen tanks and other medical supplies to ensure regulation of their sale. – Report from John Aroa/AG-rir
