The highly transmissible Omicron variant might have already entered Cebu due to the sudden increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in the area.
“Base on sa kaniyang transmission, posibleng Omicron variant na ito… This is really very serious na kailangan mas higpitan pa natin ang pag-i-implement natin [ng health protocols],” Cebu City Emergency Operations Center chief and Councilor Joel Garganer said.
Authorities have yet to confirm whether or not there is local transmission of the variant in the city, pending the latest genome sequencing result from the Philippine Genome Center (PGC).
According to the Department of Health (DOH) in Region 7, positive cases began to increase during the first week of January.
Cebu City recorded 477 new cases on Sunday (Jan. 16) and 505 on Saturday (Jan. 15), the highest reported numbers since the pandemic started. There were only three fatalities since the year began, while the city’s active case count rose to 2,546.
“Very highly probable ang feature ng Omicron variant na high transmissibility. We should always be alarmed that the cases are fast rising,” Dr. Mary Jean Loreche of DOH said.
“Pero I think dahil sa ating vaccination — nakatulong talaga siya [vaccination]. What we will be seeing will be more of the mild instead of the severe and critical,” she added.
Authorities are taking into consideration the easing of travel restrictions and border control on the possible entry of the variant.
Due to the case increase, the critical care utilization rates of government and private hospitals in the city have reached 68.4% and 32.4%, respectively.
Confirmed cases who have mild symptoms or asymptomatic for the disease were urged to isolate at home to decongest hospitals. The city has recently reopened its barangay isolation centers. – Report from John Aroa/AG-rir
