The Quezon City government declared on Saturday, Feb. 15, a dengue outbreak following the deaths of 10 patients due to the mosquito-borne illness.

(Photo by Hannah Nicol/MANILA BULLETIN)

Mayor Joy Belmonte announced the outbreak during a press conference. She said the city government has been closely monitoring dengue cases in the city.

“So simula pa noong nakaraang taon, binabantayan na namin ang trend na mga kaso ng dengue sa ating lungsod at nakita natin ang patuloy na pagtaas nito sa paglipas na mga nakaraang linggo (Since last year, we have been monitoring the trend of dengue cases in our city, and we have observed a continuous increase over the past few weeks),” she said.

She added that majority of the 10 fatalities were minors.

“Nalulungkot din akong ibalita sa inyo na may sampung individual na ang namatay dahil sa dengue at walo sa kanila ang mga menor de edad (I am also saddened to inform you that 10 individuals have already died due to dengue, eight of whom were minors),” she said.

“Karamihan sa kanila ay namatay sa nakalipas labing apat na araw (Most of them passed away in the last 14 days),” she added.

According to Cruz, 1,769 dengue cases were recorded from January 1 to February 14, with 10 deaths reported in the past four weeks.

The 10 barangays with the highest number of cases are Batasan Hills, Payatas, Commonwealth, Tatalon, Holy Spirit, Pasong Tamo, Pansol, Bahay Toro, Bagbag, and Matandang Balara.

Cruz also noted that 52 percent of the cases are preschoolers and elementary school students.

The rapid rise in cases prompted the city government to declare an outbreak.

“Dahil sa napakataas na bilang ng nagka-dengue sa ating lungsod, minabuti nating magdeklara ng dengue outbreak (Due to the extremely high number of dengue cases in our city, we have decided to declare a dengue outbreak),” Belmonte said.

“Ang outbreak ay dinideklara kapag tumataas sa higit na inaasahang numero ang bilang ng kaso sa isang lugar. Hindi po natin layunin na takutin ang publiko at magpanik ang lahat (An outbreak is declared when the number of cases in an area exceeds the expected threshold. Our goal is not to cause fear or panic among the public),” the mayor said.

“Ang naisip namin ay maging mas alerto at mas conscious ang publiko para agad din silang makakilos kung sakasakaling makakita sila ng mga sintomas o kaya naman ay mga lugar na madali maging dengue breathing rounds for immediate action and response (Our aim is to make the public more alert and conscious so they can take immediate action if they notice any symptoms or identify areas that may become breeding grounds for dengue. This will allow prompt response and intervention),” she added.

The mayor also called for the support of barangay officials and school administrators in addressing the crisis.

To address the situation, the city government announced that 66 health centers will remain open even on weekends for the next two weeks.

A dedicated fever express lane will also be available to prioritize patients with fever.

Additionally, the city’s three public hospitals — the Quezon City General Hospital, Rosario Maclang Bautista General Hospital, and the District Hospital — are prepared to accommodate dengue patients.

“Lahat po ay in-encourage po natin na huwag po baliwalain itong ating announcement na ito and at the soonest possible time, if there are symptoms, please seek health services right away (We encourage everyone not to ignore this announcement. At the soonest possible time, if there are symptoms, please seek health services right away),” Belmonte said.

The local government will also conduct vector control measures in areas with high number of cases.

Meanwhile, the Schools Division Office has urged parents to dress their children in long socks, jackets and jogging pants, and to use insect repellent before, during, and after school.

“Dengue is not a joke; it is a serious illness and a health crisis in our city,” Belmonte emphasized.

Present at the press briefing were the city’s Health Department head Dr. Ramona Asuncion Abarquez, Epidemiology and Surveillance Division (QCESD) chief Dr. Rolando Cruz, Schools Division Office Superintendent Dr. Carleen Sedilla, Barangay and Community Relations Department (BCRD) head Ricardo Corpuz, and Councilor Mari Rodriguez.