Highest cases logged in 6 months

CEBU Citys daily Covid-19 cases made a return to the three-digit level Thursday, Jan. 28, 2021, when 103 new cases were recorded, the highest daily new case count recorded in six months.
This constitutes a 7.74 percent positivity rate out of the 1,304 individuals tested on Jan. 27.
The Emergency Operations Center (EOC), however, emphasized that of these cases, only 101 were new while the two others were from reswabbed samples.
Cebu City recorded a total of 1,134 active cases as of Jan. 28.
The last time Cebu City logged single-day new cases in triple digits was on July 24, 2020, when it recorded 111 cases. The city was under the stricter modified enhanced community
quarantine then.
Cebu City Councilor Joel Garganera, EOC deputy chief implementer, said they will recommend measures to Mayor Edgardo Labella for the strict enforcement of the citys community quarantine protocols.
This may include the reimposition of the liquor ban, following reports of resto bars and restaurants violating quarantine protocols.
He said the EOC will also recommend a stricter enforcement of the rule on physical distancing inside public utility vehicles.
Garganera said although Cebu Citys Covid-19 cases are increasing, the situation remains manageable because of the EOCs capacity to contain, extract, and isolate positive individuals and trace their contacts.
The occupancy rate of Covid beds in the citys 15 hospitals remains below 25 percent, he said.
Meanwhile, the Cordillera Administrative Region will revert to the more restrictive general community quarantine (GCQ) for the month of February, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque announced on Friday, Jan. 29.
Areas that remain on GCQ from Feb. 1 to 28, 2021 are the National Capital Region, Batangas, Tacloban City, Davao City, Davao del Norte, Lanao del Sur and Iligan City.
Iloilo City, Santiago City and Isabela province were removed from the list. These three areas will shift to modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) on Feb. 1.
Cebu City will also remain under MGCQ despite the rising cases of infection. The rest of the country is under MGCQ.
The Cordillera region is composed of the provinces of Abra, Apayao, Benguet, Baguio City, Ifugao, Kalinga and Mountain Province.
A cluster of infections with the Sars-CoV-2 B.1.1.7 variant has been detected in Bontoc, Mountain Province. This variant, which emerged in the United Kingdom, is reportedly more contagious. / JJL / Marites Villamor-Ilano / SunStar Philippines