Increase of COVID-19 cases after long holidays seen

CHO head Dr. Marjorie Culas, during the ISpeak Media Forum on Thursday (April 13) at the City Hall conference room said numerous people who went in public places  during the long weekends were seen not wearing face masks.

"We are on alert. If hospital beds are full and cases are high, where would critical patients go? They would need to be admitted to receive immediate medical attention and high-tech facilities," Culas said. 

She said they are expecting an increase after two weeks although the current cases are mostly asymptomatic and mild.

Culas said the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) is currently in a 100 percent full-bed capacity status.

She said only SPMC and Davao Doctors Hospital are catering to COVID-19 cases, that's why the Department of Health (DOH) Region 11 mandated all hospitals to allocate at least 20 percent of their bed capacity to COVID-19. 

Culas also said they will meet with representatives of private hospitals on April 18 to discuss the matter.

Currently, the city has a total of 234 active COVID-19 cases, of which 48 tested positive on April 12. Four patients are in isolation in a city-managed temporary treatment monitoring facility (TTMF) while the rest are isolated at home or in the hospitals.

Culas continuously urged Dabawenyos to get vaccinated in the city's 18 district health centers every Friday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. or at the People's Park from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Mondays to Fridays.

She encouraged the public to adhere the Executive Order (EO) No. 43, Series of 2022, which exempts voluntary face mask-wearing in healthcare facilities, including, but not limited to clinics, hospitals, laboratories, nursing homes, and dialysis clinics; medical transport vehicles (ambulance, paramedic rescue vehicles); and public transportation (land, air, and sea).

To recall, Mayor Sebastian Duterte issued Executive Order (EO) No. 43, Series of 2022, known as “An Order Adopting Presidential Executive Order No. 03 Allowing The Voluntary Wearing Of Face Masks In Outdoor Settings And Reiterating The Continued Implementation Of The Minimum Public Health Standards In Davao City During The State Of Public Health Emergency Relative To The COVID-19 Pandemic,” effective September 21, 2022.

Culas urged the commuters to wear face masks when taking public transportation, adding some are no longer wearing face masks. This could increase the risk of COVID-19 infection since physical distancing is already not observed, he said.