A TOTAL of 226 people in Cebu City were reported to have died due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) in less than four weeks of August.
This was the second time that the City had a high number of Covid-19 deaths. The last time Cebu City had more Covid-19 deaths was in June 2021, just two months after the pandemic reached Cebu.
Cebu City’s Emergency Operation Center (EOC) reported that the number of people in the City who died of Covid-19 from August 1 to 25 was close to thrice more than those who died in July.
In July, 88 Covid-19 deaths were recorded in Cebu City.
As of August 25, a total of 1,192 people from Cebu City have succumbed to Covid-19.
Cebu City Councilor Joel Garganera, who is also EOC’s deputy chief implementer, said despite ang increase in fatalities, he also noted a downtrend on the number of active cases.
But Garganera said people can’t be complacent as there is still a possibility that another spike in the cases can occur especially that the daily number of active cases remains still in three-digits.
Of the city’s 80 barangays, Guadalupe remained on top when it comes to Covid-19 active cases with 309 cases.
Next to Guadalupe is Tisa with 144 cases, Talamban with 139 cases, Lahug with 135 cases and Punta Princesa with 104 cases.
Garganera said there are still waiting lines in the city’s public and private hospitals.
As of Aug. 24, the critical care utilization rate (CCUR) of the city’s 15 hospitals is at 69.6 percent, which means 663 of 995 Covid-19 beds are occupied.
Garganera said five hospitals in Cebu City are considered to be in the safe zone; three were considered in moderate; four were high risk; while three are still in critical zone. (JJL, PAC / JKV)