After almost two years of battling the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ospital ng Makati (OsMak) and Makati Medical Center (MMC) have recorded no new COVID-19 patients as of Wednesday, Dec. 8, Makati City Mayor Abby Binay announced.

“Earlier this month, we had 54 patients with COVID-like symptoms at OsMak. Fortunately, they all tested negative after undergoing RT-PCR tests. Therefore, we have zero COVID cases at OsMak,” Binay said.

She added that a 75-year-old man was the last person so far to be admitted at OsMak last November 24 due to critical COVID-19 infection. He died last December 3.

Earlier, MMC medical director Dr. Saturnino Javier issued a statement confirming the hospital’s zero-COVID patient census for the first time in 20 months since March 2020.

The city is now placed under the low-risk classification with 31 active cases, zero deaths, and one recovery, according to the latest report of the Makati Health Department (MHD).

Binay said the MHD attributed the low number of active cases to the city’s high vaccination rate, availability of rapid antigen tests and RT-PCR tests, surveillance and early isolation or quarantine of suspected COVID-19 patients, and strict implementation of minimum public health standards.

She reminded the public to not be complacent and said that the looming threat of the Omicron variant, which has been detected in some neighboring countries and is said to be more contagious than the Delta variant, still persists.

“Even if we are now under the low-risk classification, we should remain vigilant. It may only be a matter of time before the Omicron variant makes its way to our country. We must continue to strictly observe public health standards like wearing face masks and keeping a one-meter distance from another person,” the mayor said.

Makati has vaccinated 439,185 individuals or more than 70 percent (437,192) of its population (624,560) as of Dec. 8.