MAYOR Sara Duterte has attributed the downtrend of COVID-19 cases to vaccination as the city recorded no critical risk nor high-risk barangays from Nov. 8 to 13.
Duterte, during the Special Hours program of 87.5 Davao City Disaster Radio (DCDR) on Monday, said: “That is my opinion. Bakuna lang na sya because kana atong mga gina-implement kaniadto na mga lain-laing mga guidelines sa prevention and enforcement, mubaba man, especially kanang duna tay ECQ o MECQ pero dili ingon ana kadako ang iyahang pagbaba o ingon ana kapaspas compared it kaniadto nga wala pay pagpabakuna (That is my opinion, it’s the vaccination because even when we implemented different guidelines in prevention and enforcement, the cases would decrease especially during ECQ or MECQ but the decline of cases is not as huge and fast compared to the aftermath of the vaccination).”
The mayor said she hopes the city continues to see a decrease in COVID-19 cases and that no more surge will be experienced until the new year.
“Kini siya sa pagkakaron considering na low ang compliance sa mga tawo sa mga guidelines with regards to the community quarantine status kaniadto karon alert levels na. Dako ang bakuna nga factor sa pagbaba sa COVID-19 cases (This has been the situation now considering people’s low compliance with regard to guidelines on community quarantine status before and the current alert levels. The vaccine factor is instrumental in the reduced COVID-19 cases),” Duterte said.
For the first time since the past surge, there are no critical risk and high-risk barangays in the city.
Only 13 were classified as moderate risk barangays – 6-A, 28-C, 29-C, 31-D, 38-D, Acacia (Buhangin), Baliok, Bangkas Heights, Mulig, Saloy, Tacunan, Tugbok Proper, and Tungkalan.
About 169 were categorized as moderate risk and minimal risk barangays.
She added, “Buot pasabot ani walay critical and high risk baba ang mga cases dinha sa atoang mga barangays and, in fact, city-wide nagababa ang mga cases (This means there is no critical and high risk because of the downtrend in cases in the barangays and in fact, the decrease in COVID-19 cases is city-wide).”
As the city eased COVID-19 restrictions, the latest of which is the lifting of curfew and modifying of the liquor ban, lifting of plastic barriers in public utility vehicles (PUVs), and voluntary use of face shields in 3C settings – close contact, closed areas, and crowded places, another surge is possible with the upcoming Christmas holidays.
The mayor, however, said that the city had already experienced three surge waves. If and when another surge strikes, the city’s response system is already in place – test, trace, treat, and isolate.
As of Nov. 7, Davao City logged 25 new cases from 45 recorded on Nov. 6. This brings the active cases to 588 from the total 53,440 COVID-19 cases. A total of 51,112 patients have recovered while 1,740 have died.
Mayor Duterte said, “Ang atoang numbers nag-indicate that we are on Alert Level 2 pero naa ta sa Alert Level 3 (Our numbers indicate we are qualified to be on Alert Level 2 but we are currently on Alert Level 3).”
She hopes that with the continuing downtrend of cases, the city can be downgraded to Alert Level 2.
