Davao City Hall (File photo)
MANILA – It is unfair to compare Davao City with Quezon City in terms of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) case count, Malacañang said on Tuesday.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque made the remark a day after the OCTA Research Group said Davao City is forecast to surpass Quezon City with the highest number of new Covid-19 cases “before next week.”
Roque said the rise in coronavirus infections in the two cities should not be compared because they have been placed under different community quarantine classifications.
“I don’t think it’s a fair comparison,” Roque said in a virtual press briefing.
Roque said Covid-19 cases in Quezon City are lower compared to that of Davao City because Metro Manila was placed under the most restrictive enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) from March 29 to April 11 and modified ECQ (MECQ) from April 12 to 30.
On the other hand, the more relaxed general community (GCQ) was implemented in Davao City, while Quezon City was under a stricter quarantine status, Roque said.
“Ang Quezon City kasi kabahagi ng Metro Manila bubble at nalagay nga sa ECQ at MECQ ang Quezon City sa napakatagal na panahon ‘no. Hindi bababa sa two months ang ECQ at MECQ, samantalang ang Davao naman po was under GCQ for a long period of time (Quezon City is part of the Metro Manila bubble that was placed under ECQ and MECQ for almost two months. Davao, on the other hand, was under GCQ for a long period of time),” he said.
Davao City is currently under MECQ until June 20 due to the alarming rise in Covid-19 cases, while QC is under GCQ until June 30.
The OCTA Research Group, in its latest monitoring report, said Davao is one of the Mindanao cities deemed as an area of concern with 206 new cases from May 31 to June 6.
Davao City’s growth rate is 54 percent, while its average daily attack rate per 100,000 population is 11.34.
Roque said the spike in Covid-19 infections in Davao City could be attributed to the increase in people from Davao Region going to the city to seek medical care.
“Davao po is actually the place where many people from the Davao Region seek medical assistance,” he said. “‘Yung mga datos ng mga (The data of) Covid-19 cases include cases from the neighboring areas in Southern Philippines.” (PNA)
