Cagayan de Oro sees continued rise in COVID-19 cases

CAGAYAN DE ORO, Philippines – The Cagayan de Oro city government’s health chief on Monday, April 10, warned of a continued rise in the number of COVID-19 infections in the city after several super-spreader events during the just-held Holy Week.

“Yes, we expect a surge, especially since many are no longer wearing their masks,” said Cagayan de Oro City Health Office chief Rachel Dilla.

Health officials blamed the surge in the number of COVID-19 cases on public complacency.

Dr. Dilla said that although the number of cases had tapered down after some of the patients were discharged from the hospitals, the city continued to see an uptrend.

On Easter Sunday, April 9, the city logged 144 active COVID-19 cases, 100 of which involved patients who were admitted to hospitals, and quarantine facilities in the city.

Dilla said most cases were detected when the infected were already brought to hospitals where they were subjected to reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction or rapid tests. 

She said the community’s complacency with minimum public health protocols increased and called on citizens to be mindful of their COVID-19 vaccination status.

Dilla said, “At a minimum, individuals should receive their booster shots to prevent severe cases of COVID-19 and stay at home if they feel unwell. I hope that we will attain herd immunity so that COVID-19 will no longer be as much of a health concern. Although the virus will persist, it will no longer be a health emergency because people will have developed immunity against the COVID-19 virus.”

Local health officials have called on the elderly and immunocompromised to avoid large gatherings.

As COVID-19 cases surged in Cagayan de Oro, the local government implemented stricter public health protocols, including mandatory face mask-wearing in specific areas, especially during the recently-held Holy Week observance.

As of 10 pm on April 3, city hall said there were 189 active COVID-19 cases in the city. Of the infected, 103 were confined in public and private hospitals, and 86 were in the city’s isolation facilities.

The following day, the City Health Office (CHO) counted 196 new patients admitted to medical and health facilities across the city.

In late March, Cagayan de Oro counted 172 COVID-19 cases, with almost 200 new cases in a month, the highest in the city this year. 

The local government’s top epidemiologist, Dr. Teodulfo Joselito Retuya Jr., said the city recorded 100 cases as of March 19, which steadily rose to 172 cases by the end of March. – Rappler.com

Cong Corrales is an Aries Rufo Journalism fellow.