As the region logs 572 new cases on Thursday
TACLOBAN CITY- In another record-breaking day for the region in so far as new cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the Department of Health (DOH) announced on Thursday (June 10) of 572 fresh cases.
The 572 new cases of the region was part of the 1,855 samples tested by four COVID-19 testing laboratories or a positivity rate of 30.84 percent.
For the past three days alone this week, the region’s COVID-19 daily new cases reached to 635 with Wednesday’s fresh cases at 361 as one of the highest ever for the region.
The increasing trend for COVID-19 cases of the region has prompted the Regional Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging and Infectious Diseases to place the entire region to a stricter General Community Quarantine (GCQ) from its current quarantine status of Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ) to the National Inter-Agency Task Force.
“Our surveillance unit is recommending that the entire Eastern Visayas be placed under GCQ from the previous MGCQ with granular lockdowns in selected municipalities in the region,” the DOH said.
“Our situation right now is very alarming so le us not go out of our homes if unnecessary. The health and well-being of our families is of outmost importance,” Dr. Exuperia Sabalberino, DOH acting regional director, said in a statement.
We also urge the local government units to help raise awareness to the public and to better reach people who are in dire need of our help. Let us continue to expedite our contact tracing for the new confirmed cases,” she said.
Violation of the minimum health protocols and the presence of the United Kingdom (UK) variant were the reasons cited by the DOH for the spike of COVID-19 cases in Eastern Visayas.
Several local government units in the region have intensified their measures to help curb the spike like closing of borders, strict implementation of the use of face mask and face shield, social distancing, curfew and prohibition of mass gatherings.
Of the 572 new cases, Leyte province posted the highest with 303 fueled mainly with the 112 cases of its capital city of Tacloban.
Northern Samar has 123 new COVID-19 cases, its highest since the start of the pandemic; followed by Southern Leyte with 82; Samar, with 44; Eastern Samar with 15 and Biliran with five new cases.
The region’s total COVID-19 cases now stand at 23,338 with 20,948 recoveries and 2,058 active cases.
