Over 500 dead in 15 days in Cebu

CEBU passed a grim milestone Sunday when deaths from coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) on the island province breached 500 for just the first 15 days of August.

The day also saw Covid-19 active cases soar to unprecedented levels.

According to the Department of Health 7’s latest case bulletin, the whole Cebu recorded 10 deaths on Sunday, Aug. 15, 2021, bringing Covid-19 deaths in the first half of August alone to 506.

This 15-day death toll is higher than the number of deaths reported in Cebu in the last four months combined, which was 501.

On the same day, other records broken underscored the severity of the health crisis facing the island: Cebu City’s active cases breached the 4,000 level, settling at 4,090 after 319 new cases were recorded, while Cebu Province’s active cases breached the 5,000 level, hitting 5,040 after 370 new cases were recorded.

There are now 12,619 active Covid-19 cases on Cebu island.

Cebu Province accounted for 62 percent of the 506 deaths during the 15-day period this month at 312 deaths, followed by Cebu City with 112 deaths (22 percent); Lapu-Lapu City, 51 deaths (10 percent); and Mandaue City, 31 deaths (six percent).

Cebu Province, which comprises 44 towns and six component cities, makes up 64 percent of Cebu island’s population. Cebu City makes up 19 percent; Lapu-Lapu, 10 percent; and Mandaue, seven percent.

The Covid deaths for the first seven and a half months of this year now total 1,359.

More than half of the deaths this year or 57 percent were recorded in Cebu Province (780 deaths); followed by Cebu City with 342 deaths (25 percent); Lapu-Lapu City, 134 deaths (10 percent) and Mandaue City, 103 deaths (eight percent).

Since the start of the pandemic, the whole Cebu has now reported a total of 80,192 Covid-19 cases and 2,743 deaths, bringing its case fatality rate to 3.42 percent.

The rise in deaths in Cebu Province this month enabled it to surpass Cebu City in total number of deaths since the pandemic began with Cebu Province having 1,192 deaths and Cebu City having 1,032 deaths as of Aug. 15, 2021.

Cebu Province’s cumulative death toll first surpassed that of Cebu City on Aug. 7, 2021 when the Province’s 983 deaths from 23,079 cumulative Covid-19 cases edged out Cebu City’s 978 cumulative deaths from its 31,730 Covid cases logged since the start of the pandemic.

To curb the rising Covid-19 cases, the Inter-agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases has placed Cebu’s three highly urbanized cities—Cebu, Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu—under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ), the second strictest quarantine classification, for the whole month of August.

In Cebu City, Acting Mayor Michael Rama issued Executive Order 137 Sunday, Aug. 15, ordering citizens to stay home, except for trips out to do essential work and to address essential needs; and prohibiting non-essential inter-island travel, the sale of liquor, and the operation of a host of establishments including venues for meetings, conferences and exhibitions.

Also from Aug. 16 to 31, public transport must open windows or doors when carrying passengers, or use air purifiers or reduce passenger capacity as an alternative.

Despite this month’s big death numbers, last year was actually still deadlier in terms of case fatality rate.

With 57,020 Covid-19 cases and 1,359 deaths reported by the entire Cebu in the first seven and a half months of this year, the case fatality rate this year is 2.38 percent.

But for the whole of last year, the entire Cebu reported 1,384 deaths and 23,172 Covid-19 cases, which means the case fatality rate in 2020 was 5.97 percent.

Last year, Cebu City accounted for majority of the Covid deaths at 690 deaths or 50 percent of deaths; followed by Cebu Province, 412 deaths (30 percent); Mandaue City, 171 deaths (12 percent); and Lapu-Lapu City, 111 deaths (eight percent).

To address the situation in Cebu Province, Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia has also placed 11 towns and cities under MECQ with heightened restrictions from Aug. 11 to 31. These are the towns of Consolacion, Liloan, Cordova, Minglanilla, Sibonga, Samboan, Argao and Oslob as well as the cities of Talisay, Naga and Carcar.

The town of San Fernando, situated between Naga and Carcar, is under voluntary MECQ with heightened restrictions.

The rest of Cebu Province is under general community quarantine with heightened restrictions for the month of August. (CTL)