CEBU CITY – The Emergency Operations Center (EOC) here is pushing for stricter protocols for travelers arriving in this city after an increase of COVID-19 cases was noted in the past few days.
The EOC, which is tasked to oversee the COVID-19 response, has asked City Mayor Edgardo Labella to amend Executive Order (EO) No. 125 which sets “guidelines for travel of persons into the City of Cebu from other provinces outside Cebu.” City Councilor Joel Garganera, chief of EOC, said it has been noted the use of Safe, Swift, and Smart Passage (S-PASS) Travel Management System of the Department of Science and Technology has not been strictly enforced for in-bound travelers. The steady rise of swabbed COVID-19 cases from in-bound travelers was also noted.
Among the amendments that the EOC are pushing is the presentation of negative COVID-19 tests from the ports of origin or before traveling to this city.
June 30 data of the Department of Health-Central Visayas (Region 7) said the city logged 88 new cases and four deaths.
“For the past week, our average daily positive rate was 6.12 percent. We started the week with four percent positivity rate but we were not able to sustain it. After two days, our digits were beyond the threshold of WHO which is five percent,” said Garganera.
As of June 30, the city had 783 active out of the 25,642 confirmed COVID-19 cases.
“Our cases here in Cebu City are increasing and if we are not one in halting this, it could be a problem. Strengthen our border control since our neighboring provinces are experiencing a rise in their COVID positive cases,” Garganera said.