Unoccupied isolation centers in Cebu City are closing as the number of new coronavirus cases in the city dropped to a record low. 

On Tuesday, October 13, Cebu City reported only two new positive cases out of 397 tests, for a positivity rate of 0.5%.

Earlier this week, the Bayanihan Cebu Sacred Heart School Field Center, which treats mild COVID-19 cases, suspended its operations due to low utilization.

The Office of the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas, one of the partner offices managing the center, said the 48-bed facility would still be maintained in case more beds are needed in the future.

The 130-bed Bayanihan IEC Field Center on Pope John Paul II Avenue, which is also a free swab testing site, continues to operate.

Bayanihan Cebu Sacred Heart School Field Center is the latest isolation site to close for being underused. In September, 49 barangay isolation centers were shut down in this city.

The number of clustered clinics – residents’ first-stop if they exhibit influenza-like symptoms – had been reduced from 5 to 2 as of August 30.  

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“While the government continues to be proactive in our fight against the COVID-19 crisis, this is definitely good news. It shows that we are making real progress in the interventions we have done in this battle,” OPAV Secretary Michael Dino said in a statement.

The Sacred Heart facility opened in May when Cebu City was under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), to accommodate the surge in new cases. Cebu City was once considered a second “epicenter” of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines, after Metro Manila.

The cases in Cebu City have been on a downward  trend since August. Researchers from the OCTA group, who have also been tracking the pandemic at the local level, said Cebu City began to flatten its COVID-19 curve in August.

Local officials, however, remain concerned about a second wave of infections.

Dr Mary Jean Loreche, spokesperson of the Department of Health Central Visayas, is recommending that Cebu City remain under modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) – the least restrictive quarantine level –until at least mid-December to keep restrictions in place so that people don’t pack malls and other establishments during the holiday season.

The Cebu City COVID-19 Emergency Operations Center also reminded residents to stay vigilant and wear masks and face shields, practice physical distancing, and to constantly wash their hands.

As of Tuesday evening, October 13, Cebu City reported an additional 120 recoveries, bringing its total active cases down to 230. The city has 10,135 confirmed cases and 677 deaths due to COVID-19.

Nationwide, the Philippines recorded 1,990 new cases on Tuesday, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases in the country to 344,713. Of this number, 44,958 are active, while a total of 6,372 people have died from the new disease. – Rappler.com