DAVAO ORIENTAL – The Provincial Task Force on COVID-19 in concurrence with all local chief executives of the province has recently agreed to heighten the province’s quarantine classification to Enhanced Community Quarantine starting September 8-21 with hopes to address the alarming surge of COVID-19 cases and deaths which has already started to overwhelm health and isolation facilities here.
Provincial Task Force on COVID-19 Action Officer Dr. Reden Bersaldo reported during an emergency meeting on Friday, September 3, that the surge of cases has placed the province under Alert Level IV and categorized with a high epidemic risk level.
As of September 3, COVID-19 cases in the province have reached 5,653, of which 1,174 are active.
Dr. Bersaldo said that the province has recorded a 286 percent increase in the number of cases in just a matter of three months. He identified the City of Mati and the municipalities of Baganga, Governor Generoso, and Lupon as the LGUs that are badly hit by the surge.
Based on the COVID-19 status report, Davao Oriental has a positivity rate of 14 percent while the recovery rate plummeted down to 75.2 percent. Case fatality ratio, on the other hand, rose to 2.8 percent which is already almost double the national rate of 1.7 percent.
Meanwhile, COVID-19-related deaths have also increased. For the month of August 2021 alone, Davao Oriental already recorded 55 deaths out of the total 159 deaths. “That’s a rate of two people a day dying in the whole province of Davao Oriental,” says Dr. Bersaldo.
Dr. Bersaldo added that 90.6 percent of the total number of deaths were unvaccinated and mostly with comorbidities while 8.8 percent already had their first dose. The remaining 0.6 percent of the deaths were fully vaccinated.
Dr. Bersaldo pointed out that the presence of new variants, the unrestricted movement of the people, and the continuing disregard to the minimum health protocols are the main culprits for the surge.
At this rate, if this goes on, says Dr. Bersaldo, isolation facilities will be congested and could no longer accommodate additional cases.
He lamented the general public’s imprudent disregard for health protocols and lack of seriousness on the pandemic, citing social gatherings without using face masks and proper physical distancing.
“People just go on with their lives. But if you try to look at our hospitals and isolation facilities, it’s heartbreaking to see our health workers who are all very tired and almost giving up,” said Dr. Bersaldo, adding that many of the health workers have wanted to quit amidst the surge.
Enhanced Community Quarantine
With the implementation of the two-week Enhanced Community Quarantine, health workers will be able to be given a breather which will enable them to focus on treating the existing COVID-19 cases.
Unlike last year’s ECQ which covered a hard lockdown, the current ECQ is not that restrictive. “The only compromise is to limit non-essential activities,” said Dr. Bersaldo.
These non-essential activities include social gatherings, gambling, parties, and religious gathering, among others.
Other policies to be implemented under the ECQ include a curfew from 8 pm to 5 am, a 24-hour liquor ban, monitoring of establishments, and shortening the number of days for wakes.
Aside from the ECQ, Dr. Bersaldo pointed out vaccination as one of the topmost solutions to address the COVID-19 surge.
Currently, the province focuses on PDITR Strategy, or the Prevention, Detection, Isolation, Treatment, and Recovery, and Vaccination to prevent the further spread of the virus.
Governor Nelson Dayanghirang, who chairs the Provincial Task Force on COVID-19, in support of the province’s decision, urged the mayors of the LGUs to do their fair share in responding to the pandemic, particularly in providing support to the healthcare frontliners.
Meanwhile, as he directed the security sector to heighten law enforcement on the ECQ, he reminded the general public to abide by the guidelines as ECQ will be strictly implemented. KLD-PIO
