COVID-19 CASES SURGE. The map of Tacloban City showing the location of active cases as of June 5, 2021. The top official of the Department of Health in Eastern Visayas has classified the current surge of coronavirus disease 2019 cases as very alarming, reiterating calls for the public to stay at home. (Photo courtesy of Tacloban City government)
TACLOBAN CITY – The top official of the Department of Health (DOH) in Eastern Visayas has classified the current surge of coronavirus disease 2019 cases as very alarming, reiterating calls to the public to stay at home.
Concerned by record-breaking figures of new cases in the past few days, DOH regional director Exuperia Sabalberino said the situation “reflects the region’s momentary complacency.”
“Our situation right now is very alarming so let us not go out of our homes if unnecessary. The health and well-being of our families are of utmost importance. This is not a time to be complacent, but a time to be vigilant and wary of the possibility of the continuous spread of the virus,” Sabalberino said in a statement issued late Wednesday.
On Thursday, the region recorded 572 new confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) cases, the highest number reported in a single day since the start of the global pandemic last year.
The 572 new cases were part of 1,855 samples examined by the three testing laboratories in the region and the Philippine Red Cross testing facility in Cebu City, the DOH here reported.
Of the total number of new patients, 112 from Tacloban City, 163 from Leyte, 28 from Ormoc City, 82 from Southern Leyte, 123 from Northern Samar, 15 from Eastern Samar, 44 from Samar, and five from Biliran province.
With the new infections, the region’s total cases climbed to 23,338, including 20,948 recoveries, and 332 deaths. There are still 2,058 active cases in six provinces and seven cities in the region.
The DOH largely attributed the record-high cases to super spreader events such as fiestas, parties, reunions, and other social gatherings.
It reminded the public to limit physical interactions with others, avoid mass gatherings, and keep a physical distance of at least one meter from each other.
The agency also reiterated the importance of wearing face masks and face shields when out in public, regular hand washing, and the observance of cough etiquette to prevent the spread of the virus. (PNA)
