Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 10) — The Department of Health on Wednesday said the Province of Cebu is seeing an upward trend in its coronavirus cases, but the hospitals are still able to manage the number of COVID-19 patients.
Health spokesperson Maria Rosario Vergeire said the average daily attack rate and two-week growth rate in the province is going up, but the healthcare utilization is only at moderate risk. She said healthcare workers in the province are not yet burdened by the number of patients seeking care.
“Hindi pa natin nakikita sa ngayon dahil nakikita natin that we are able to manage. But sana hindi magtuloy-tuloy ang kanilang pagtaas ng kaso so we can still manage,” she said in a media briefing.
[Translation: We are able to manage. Hopefully the increase in cases does not continue so we can manage.]
However, the official said Cebu City and Lapu-Lapu City are seeing a rise in the occupation of beds dedicated for COVID-19 patients. The OCTA Research group warned that the occupancy rate in Cebu City hospitals may hit critical level in two to three weeks if COVID-19 cases there continue to rise.
Vergeire said the surge may be attributed to the transmission during the holidays and aggravated by the delayed consultation of infected patients. She added the new COVID-19 variant first detected in UK could also be one of the factors.
“Hindi natin masasabi na variant lang ang cause . It might be addition or naka-aggravate. Maaari na kasama siya sa factors,” she said in a media briefing.
[Translation: We cannot say that the variant is the only cause. It might be adding to or aggravating the rise in cases. It might be among the factors]
Meanwhile, the DOH asked the National Bureau of Investigation to help in tracing the 35-year-old man from Liloan, Cebu who recently tested positive for the new variant.
