Nearly 3,000 active coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases have been recorded by the Valenzuela City Health Office’s City Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (CESU) on Tuesday, Jan. 11.
The city currently has 2,996 active cases, compared to the 2,549 active cases recorded on Monday, Jan. 10.
From Dec.1 to Dec. 28, the city consistently reported less than 50 active cases, recording its lowest count on Dec. 26 with 16 active cases.
As the COVID-19 Omicron variant detected in the country, along with lowering Metro Manila’s status to Alert Level 2 during the holiday season, COVID-19 cases increased from 69 active cases on Dec. 29 to 238 active cases on Jan. 1. The city breached 1,000 active cases on Friday, Jan. 7, with 1, 681 active COVID-19 cases.
Valenzuela City Mayor Rex Gatchalian announced on Wednesday, Jan. 5 that he had tested positive for COVID-19 and is under quarantine.
Some city health stations and hospitals either closed or limited their services, as well as imposed cut-offs in vaccination and isolation sites to cope with the increase in new COVID-19 patients and medical frontliners who have contracted the virus.
The city health office encouraged people who are fully vaccinated and are experiencing mild to moderate symptoms or are asymptomatic to undergo home quarantine and isolation.
The city government offers free COVID-19 vaccinations and free RTC-PCR testing through the Valenzuela City Health Office CESU.
Ordinance 976 Series of 2022, signed by Mayor Gatchalian on Tuesday, Jan. 4, concerning guidelines for unvaccinated individuals under Alert Level 3 is also being strictly implemented.
As of Jan. 11, Valenzuela City has 39, 217 confirmed COVID-19 cases, 35, 367 recoveries, and 854 deaths. (Khriscielle Yalao)