The active coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) cases here have dropped significantly in the last three weeks as community transmitted infections have slowed down and more patients continue to recover.
A report released on Friday by the city government cited that active infections in its 27 barangays decreased to 270 as of Thursday night, a 51 percent downturn after peaking at 555 on June 13.
The confirmed Covid-19 cases in the city since last year have reached a total of 3,241, with 78 related deaths and 2.893 recoveries.
City Mayor Eliordo Ogena said the data showed that containment measures and strategies being implemented by the local government in partnership with various stakeholders have been working well.
He said they were able to respond and make proper interventions through the timely release of important data and information by the city’s Data Monitoring Center.
“It’s a manifestation that we’ve been able to manage and control our cases,” he said in the local government’s radio program “Tingog sang Pagsanyog.”
Ogena said the available beds in the city’s isolation facilities have also increased due to the situation, with 193 of the total 262 beds currently vacant.
The city government has two centralized isolation centers situated at the Marbel 1 Central Elementary School in Barangay General Paulino Santos and at the Koronadal Central Elementary School-1 in Barangay Zone 4.
He said the buffer isolation rooms at the Koronadal National Comprehensive High School that can accommodate up to 300 patients remained unutilized.
Two more national government-funded temporary treatment and monitoring facilities, which have a combined capacity of 50 beds, are being constructed in Barangay Concepcion and at the back of the city hall building in Barangay Zone 3.
“We’re hoping that our situation will continue to improve and we will no longer need to use these facilities,” Ogena said.
Despite the improved situation, he urged residents to remain vigilant and continually comply with the minimum health protocols such as the wearing of face masks and face shields, and observance of safe physical distancing.
He said the city government will continue with its aggressive contact tracing and testing, proper isolation of confirmed patients, and the strict enforcement of the health protocols.
“We should not relax, take Covid-19 seriously and not dismiss it as just a flu. We have learned from experience that it is not a joke and not a hoax,” he said.
Source: Philippines News Agency