By Jonathan Hicap
Muntinlupa City has recorded the highest coronavirus disease (COVID-19) recovery rate in Metro Manila. City Health Office chief Dr. Teresa Tuliao said Muntinlupa’s recovery rate is 56.85 percent as of May 16 in which the city recorded 112 patients who recovered from the virus out of the total 197 COVID-19 positive cases.
Muntinlupa City government department heads meeting today attended by Mayor Jaime Fresnedi and City Administrator Allan Cachuela discussed COVID-19 cases and the modified enhanced community quarantine. (Photo by Muntinlupa PIO / MANILA BULLETIN)
She said the increase in recovery rate can be attributed to Muntinlupa’s intensified targeted mass testing including contract tracing, isolation strategies, treatment of confirmed patients and testing of suspect cases.
Before this, Tuliao said the transmission rate of COVID-19 in Muntinlupa slowed down, registering a doubling time of confirmed cases of 7.81 days, which indicated a “deceleration in transmission.”
As of May 18, the doubling time in the city improved to eight days. The standard rate of transmission should be at seven to 30 days to be considered decelerating.
The city government currently implements “express mass testing” for city residents who are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing administered to residents is free.
As of May 16, the City Health Office has tested 2,005 residents and frontliners. Confirmed COVID-19 patients are immediately taken to quarantine facilities while close contacts and their families are isolated. The Muntinlupa City government opted to continue measures even under the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) including imposing curfew, use of quarantine pass, and liquor ban.
Mayor Jaime Fresnedi said despite the improvement of COVID-19 situation in the city, residents should not be complacent. They should continue to follow quarantine rules such as observing physical distancing and personal hygiene including washing hands with soap.
As of May 17, Muntinlupa has 197 confirmed cases including 113 patients who recovered and 28 deaths, leaving 56 active cases in the city.