QC Mayor: No reason to panic over hike in Covid-19 cases

MANILA, Philippines — The Quezon City government has urged residents not to panic despite an increase in confirmed Covid-19 cases in the city over the past three weeks, stressing that all reported infections have been mild, isolated and remain manageable.

In a news release on Monday, Mayor Joy Belmonte assured residents that the city government is closely monitoring the situation.

“While there has been an increase in cases, they still represent a very small percentage of our total population. We are not seeing any clustering of cases and all reported infections have been mild and isolated,” she said.

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“Our City Health Department will continue to provide appropriate medical interventions through our city health centers and hospitals for residents experiencing similar symptoms. We encourage everyone to remain vigilant but there is no need to panic,” she added.

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Data from the Quezon City Epidemiology and Surveillance Division (QCESD) on Sunday showed that confirmed Covid-19 cases increased by over 265 percent to 84 from June 11 to July 1, up from 23 cases recorded between May 21 and June 10.

Surveillance system

Since January, the city government has recorded a total of 146 confirmed cases through a proactive surveillance system, which gathers reports from hospitals and health centers.

The QCESD said that most patients experienced influenza-like symptoms, including fever, cough, and colds, prompting them to seek medical consultation. They later tested positive for Covid-19 under standard health protocols.

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The city government also noted that other Metro Manila cities saw a similar increase in Covid-19 cases during the same period.

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Free consultations

“The best thing we can do is seek medical attention early if symptoms develop and continue practicing simple preventive measures that protect ourselves and those around us,” Belmonte said.

She stressed that the city’s 66 health centers continue to provide free medical consultations, including Covid-19 testing when indicated and medicines for symptomatic patients.

The QCESD is also in close coordination with the Department of Health for the submission of samples for genome sequencing to identify the virus variant currently circulating in the community.

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Health officials further urged residents to continue practicing basic preventive measures such as the wearing of face masks when sick or in crowded places, maintaining proper hand hygiene and consulting healthcare professionals if they develop influenza-like symptoms. —PNA

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For more information on COVID-19, call the DOH Hotline: (02) 86517800 local 1149/1150.

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