Cases of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Iloilo City are projected to peak next month.
Dr. Roland Jay Fortuna of the city government’s COVID-19 Team said the number of infections has been rising steadily over the past few weeks.
From January 1 to 17, the City Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (CESU) recorded a total of 1,489 new COVID-19 cases.
The number was 3,445 percent higher compared to 42 cases in the same period a month ago.
According to Fortuna, most of the new cases are residents who traveled to other places for vacation and their close contacts.
There are currently 77 COVID-19 patients confined in various hospitals in the city, of which 44 are residents, 27 are from Iloilo province, 5 from Antique, and 1 from Capiz.
Citing a study conducted by the University of the Philippines (UP), Mayor Jerry Treñas said daily new cases in the city may reach 700 next month.
The figure, according to Treñas, is “alarming” that is why the city government has been beefing up precautionary measures to avert the further spread of the coronavirus.
Based on the Jan. 17 bulletin issued by the Department of Health (DOH), the city has a total of 23,549 cases, including 21,242 recoveries, 628 deaths, and 1,670 active cases.IMT
