Taguig City PR
With only 9 active cases on Nov. 11, Taguig now has the lowest number of active COVID-19 cases in the National Capital Region (NCR) and among the lowest in the country.
The City has also hit a record low of 6 active cases on Monday, November 9, which is equivalent to less than 1 active case per 100k population. In the last two weeks, Taguig has been averaging around 77 active cases equivalent to 8 active cases per 100K population. Mayor Lino reported 23 average new daily cases for the week spanning Nov. 4-10. The number was as high as 200-plus daily on Aug. 12-16.
“Our efforts bore fruit,” said Mayor Lino Cayetano during a session of the Sangguniang Panglungsod that passed the city’s 2021 recovery budget. He highlighted the local government’s swift call to action as the implemented initiatives in the fight against the effects of the COVID-19 in the city has been beneficial and has steered the city in the right direction.
According to data from the City Epidemiology and Disease Surveillance Unit (CEDSU), the last time active cases hit the single digits was March 18. This development also means Taguig has only one active case per 100,000 citizens, the lowest ratio among Metro Manila’s local governments. Globally, the ratio is at par with the cities of Singapore, Tokyo and Seoul.
NCR’s average recovery rate is 94.75 percent. Taguig, meanwhile, chalked up 99.17 percent. Specifically, 8,879 of Taguig’s 8,953 cases have recovered. Active cases are now a low 0.1 percent of all recorded cases in Taguig while NCR is at 2.34 percent.
Staying aggressive vs COVID-19
“We must remain aggressive,” he said. “I keep reminding our citizens that, if we suddenly let go, 9 can increase and we could relapse.” He also highlighted the city’s case fatality rate: 65 deaths or 0.73 percent. The capital is at 2.92 percent.
Mayor Lino attributed this to the swiftly passed supplemental budget, which enabled the city to convert certain locations into temporary quarantine facilities a few days after the community quarantines began. The city also immediately entered agreements with various testing facilities and, in a few months, established its own world-class quarantine facility and molecular lab.
“We also need to recognize TPDH [Taguig-Pateros District Hospital] for the low death rate,” he said. “In the first days of the COVID-19 issue, our doctors, nurses and staff did not hesitate and allocated one area with 90 beds.”
“As we bring the economy back, as we go back to our offices, use public transport, everyone should be careful. Even if we have the lowest numbers in NCR, we must not forget that we are a center of commerce. Our fellow Filipinos who we mingle with at work, or public transport, may come from different cities and provinces,” he said.
Follow health and safety protocols
Taguig is set to hit 70,000 tests over the next few days but iterates that despite the city’s aggressive testing, it is possible that we are not detecting all cases especially from people ages 18-44, who are often asymptomatic and mild. We can only find out about them when they’ve already infected the older demographic, who need to be hospitalized.
Mayor Lino encouraged citizens to stay vigilant and follow protocols — wearing face masks and shields and maintaining physical distancing — even when talking with their own neighbors. For Christmas and New Year’s Eve revelries, he also appealed for families to keep their celebrations at home and within the household to prevent outbreaks.
“Now we know how to fight the virus. We are about to beat COVID-19,” said Mayor Lino.
